10/07/2026
The following is an open letter from William G. Jones, MD, market president for CHI St. Vincent:
As open enrollment season approaches, many Arkansans are preparing to make one of the most important financial and personal decisions of the year: selecting a healthcare plan. While it is easy to focus on premiums and deductibles, I urge you to look closer at the most critical factor of all—access.
This year, the stakes for your family’s well-being are higher than ever. Because Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas has yet to agree to fair reimbursement for St. Vincent, many Arkansans currently enrolled in BCBS plans have lost in-network access to the specialized, life-saving care that only CHI St. Vincent provides.
If you or a loved one depends on our top-tier cardiovascular surgeons, our world-class neuroscience experts, or our labor and delivery services in Southwest Arkansas, your current insurance plan may no longer be working for you.
Being out-of-network has real-world consequences. It means facing significantly higher out-of-pocket costs, increased travel times for specialized care and the frustration of being unable to see the doctors you trust. CHI St. Vincent handles more than 8,000 transfers each year of patients from rural Arkansas hospitals who require specialized providers and a higher level of care. This loss of access creates a dangerous gap in our regional safety net.
As you sit down to review your benefits for the upcoming year, I encourage you to ask yourself a few hard questions:
▪️Does my current plan keep my doctors in-network?
▪️If I need hospital care, will my insurance cover the care I need at the hospital I trust?
▪️Am I paying higher premiums for a plan that limits my access to the region's best clinical programs?
You do not have to settle for a plan that prioritizes cost-cutting over patient care. CHI St. Vincent maintains network agreements with many other health insurance plans. These plans allow us to continue providing the same high-quality, mission-driven care that we have delivered to Arkansans for nearly 140 years.
If your employer offers choices, look for plans that include CHI St. Vincent in their network, or reach out to your HR department to ensure they understand the importance of in-network access to CHI St. Vincent for you and your family. If you are a business owner or employer currently contracted with BCBS, remember that your voice matters, and you can advocate on behalf of your employees. I encourage you to contact BCBS Arkansas and insist that they return to the negotiating table to reach a fair agreement that restores in-network access to CHI St. Vincent.
We take our responsibility to our community very seriously. Fair reimbursement is essential to our mission, and we remain dedicated to providing the cutting-edge care that Arkansans deserve.
Open enrollment is your opportunity to take control of your healthcare. Don’t wait until you are in the middle of a health crisis to find out that your insurance plan has left you behind. Take the time to verify your network, advocate for your choices and ensure that you and your family have access to the care you deserve.
Your health is too important to be treated as a bargaining chip. This year, choose a plan that puts your care first.
