Activists Protest Blue Cross Blue Shield Over Grady Contract

“It’s just unimaginable that I won’t be able to go to Grady,” said Joseph Stalls. He said he was born at the hospital, and he and his six siblings all have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance. “My family won’t be able to go to Grady like we have been doing for my 59 years.”

Grady officials claim that Blue Cross Blue Shield pays them less than it does other hospitals in Atlanta for the same services. Their contract ended in November, and the two parties haven’t negotiated a new one.

“Grady oughta be treated fairly,” said Democratic state Sen. Vincent Fort, one of the protest organizers. He said Grady needs the money it’s asking for. “Money is taken off the table that could be used to treat the poor people that come through the emergency room at Grady.”

Fort delivered a letter to the insurance company expressing as much, though not before building security called the police in an effort to remove him and a few others. When they arrived, the police officers helped find someone at Blue Cross Blue Shield for Fort to give his letter to. 

If Blue Cross Blue Shield paid the rates Grady is asking for, it would raise people’s insurance premiums, said Tony Felts, a spokesman for Blue Cross Blue Shield.

“The request that we’re getting from Grady is for an increase that is many times the rate of inflation,” he said.

Felts said the hospital and the insurance company aren’t currently in any official talks.

Grady won’t turn away emergency patients, and regular doctor’s visits are still covered. What’s no longer covered are things like scheduled procedures, lab tests and follow-up visits. 

Protestors say they’ll be back on Wednesday.