“As a result, Blue Shield members will have lower out-of-pocket costs for these doctors’ services, giving them more affordable access to high-quality, safe care, close to home,” said Steven Packer, MD, CEO and president of Community Hospital.

This change improves access for members of all Blue Shield PPO and highdeductible PPO plans including Blue Shield Life products like Active Choice®. Please note that Monterey County is not in Blue Shield's service area for their HMO, POS or Medicare products. (Refer to the attached talking points for more product information.)

The agreement also sets the stage for Community Hospital and Blue Shield to collaborate on long-term solutions to lower the local cost of health care, including the potential for an Accountable Care Organization (ACO).*

“As a not-for-profit health plan, Blue Shield is committed to providing access to high quality care at an affordable price. In addition to making it more costeffective for Blue Shield members to access specialists at Community Hospital, this agreement puts Blue Shield on a path to construct innovative solutions that reduce the cost of health care in Monterey County,” said Juan Davila, Blue Shield’s senior vice president for network management. *

Download the following PDF for more information:  Blue Shield / CHOMP Agreement Overview