BlueCross deal aims to simplify medical billing

When a BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee patient has a total knee or hip replacement at Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance or Vanderbilt Medical Group, the state's largest health insurer gets billed separately for a bunch of services. Bills arrive for the surgery, physical therapy and other care that happens weeks after the procedure. That is set to change under an agreement among BlueCross, Vanderbilt's physician practice, the Nashville-based surgery group Tennessee Orthopaedic and two similar practices in Memphis and Knoxville.