TX urgent care clinics slam door on insurers

San Antonio-based Texas MedClinic, which operates a chain of urgent care clinics, announced Tuesday it's severing ties with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas following a dispute over reimbursement rates. The decision means that at least in Bexar County, 273,000 residents won't be able to use their Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) insurance at any of Texas MedClinic's 14 locations starting Oct. 18. Texas MedClinic has been a network provider with BCBS, the state's largest health insurer, since 2007. BCBS has about 4.8 million members in Texas. Texas MedClinic is the largest San Antonio-based urgent care clinic. BCBS said in a statement that Texas MedClinic was seeking a significant rate increase that exceeded “what other urgent care clinics find acceptable for the San Antonio market.”