DURHAM, NC – LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes will no longer be in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s (Blue Cross NC) network effective August 21, 2018. The 90-day period gives customers time to find new, in-network doctors and reschedule any planned procedures. During the transition, Blue Cross NC will work with customers to make sure they can get high-quality care from other nearby hospitals.
“Nothing is more important to Blue Cross NC than making sure our customers have access to high-quality, affordable health care,” said Blue Cross NC Vice President of Provider Networks Mark Werner. “We will work with our customers during this transition to make sure they can get the quality care they need from other nearby in-network hospitals.”
Effective August 21, 2018, Blue Cross NC will no longer cover services at LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes as in-network. Most Blue Cross NC plans allow customers to receive covered services from out-of-network providers. However, customers typically must pay higher out-of-pocket costs for out-of-network care.
- In case of an emergency, Blue Cross NC customers should go to the nearest hospital, including LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes’ emergency room. Emergency care is always covered as an in-network benefit. Prior authorization is never required for emergency care.
- Customers who are pregnant or have a chronic medical condition may qualify for Blue Cross NC’s Continuity of Care program. Blue Cross NC will contact customers who may qualify for the continuity of care program. If approved, customers may be able to continue seeing their current doctors at LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes for a period of time without paying higher out-of-network fees. Customers who have questions about the Continuity of Care program should call the number on the back of their membership ID cards.
- Many physicians at LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes also work at other nearby hospitals. This means customers may be able to continue seeing the same doctor at a different location.
- For Medicare Advantage customers, this termination includes doctors in the LifeBrite physician network. For all other customers, the termination does not include doctors in the LifeBrite physician network. Non-Medicare Advantage customers can continue seeing these doctors at in-network rates at their practice or at other nearby in-network hospitals. LifeBrite doctors will not remain in-network for Medicare Advantage customers, unless LifeBrite allows them to do so.
Blue Cross NC customers in the Stokes County area seeking local, in-network care can use the following resources:
- To find the closest in-network hospitals and doctors, use our interactive map of provider locations.
- To find an in-network provider, customers can also use our Find a Doctor tool.
- Call the 1-800 number on the back of their ID card.
- Blue Cross NC customers can find urgent care and primary care options in Stokes and surrounding counties by visiting bcbsnc.com.
Customers in the area seeking local, in-network hospital care should visit these surrounding hospitals:
- UNC High Point Regional Hospital, High Point, NC
- UNC Rockingham Healthcare, Eden NC
- Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, Winston Salem, NC
- Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center, Kernersville NC
- Novant Health Medical Park Hospital, Winston Salem, NC
- Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center, Thomasville, NC
- Wake Forest Baptist - Davie County Hospital, Bermuda Run, NC
- Wake Forest Baptist - Lexington Memorial Hospital Davidson, Lexington, NC
- Wake Forest Baptist - North Carolina Baptist Hospitals, Winston Salem, NC
- Moses H. Cone Hospital - Moses H Cone Memorial Hospital, Greensboro, NC
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital - The Women's Hospital of Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital - Wesley Long Community Hospital, NC
- Moses H. Memorial Cone Hospital - Annie Penn Hospital, Reidsville, NC
- Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, Elkin, NC
- Northern Hospital of Surry, Mount Airy, NC
- Randolph Hospital, Asheboro, NC
- Sovah Martinsville Mem Hospital, Martinsville, VA
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