A tense contract dispute between Blue Shield of California and the Sutter Health network of doctors and hospitals may leave nearly 280,000 Northern and Central California consumers searching for someplace else to get health care. Blue Shield notified more than 139,000 customers last week and plans to tell 140,500 more later this month that they should be prepared to find health care providers outside the Sutter Health system. If a contract agreement isn't reached, those policyholders would have to pay higher out-of-network rates if they choose to stay.
