‘Blue Shield’ health plans to include Sansum Clinic as part of in-Network provider

Sansum Clinic announced on Monday that it secured a contract with Blue Shield of California to offer individual health insurance plans offered through Covered California.

As of January 1, 2018, Anthem Blue Cross will no longer offer individual health plans throughout the state, including in Santa Barbara County, through Covered California. Blue Shield of California will be the only game in town to offer individual plans for residents and workers in Santa Barbara County.

Sansum’s contract with Blue Shield means that Sansum Clinic will be an in-Network provider for those individual plans sold by Blue Shield.

Blue Shield of California released the following statement regarding their contractual agreement with Sansum Clinic:

Blue Shield is pleased that we are adding Sansum Clinic to Blue Shield’s provider network for individual and family plans in 2018.

This should be especially good news to new members who no longer have Anthem. They will be able to continue to see the providers with whom they have established relationships.

Because Anthem Blue Cross chose to leave the individual and family plan market in many regions of the state in 2018 – including Santa Barbara – Blue Shield of California and Sansum, an established provider in the area that has been part of Anthem’s network, put a renewed effort on negotiations to avoid potential disruptions between members and their physicians.

Blue Shield of California is committed to serving individuals and families through Covered California. As a nonprofit health plan, our mission is to ensure all Californians have access to high-quality care at an affordable price.

Anyone interested in signing up for individual health insurance in Santa Barbara County may do so with Blue Shield during open enrollment between Nov. 1, 2017 and Jan. 31, 2018.