Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital recently announced the finalization of a new health insurance provider agreement with Blue Shield of California. The terms of the agreement were put into effect on Oct. 20. As a result of the new agreement, Blue Shield of California will list Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital as an in-network provider for its patients. The agreement ends negotiations that have been ongoing since the end of August.

The agreement will also affect Blue Shield insured patients who received treatment at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital between Aug. 31 and Oct. 19, when contract negotiations were taking place. These patients will only be charged for in-network expenses, or expenses that are not included in the new agreement.

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford Hospital & Clinics are also in the midst of discussion with Anthem Blue Cross with the hope of securing another health insurance provider agreement.

— Marianne LeVine