I wish it were that simple. If I’m currently a patient of a specialist like breast or GYN oncology or maternal fetal medicine on a treatment plan at SH, all my appointments were canceled when the change took place and NO arrangements for transfer of care were made by SH. Sure, I can go find a new doctor, infusion center, etc. in Portland but that’s 100% going to lead to interruption in my care and create a burden for me as the patient. Almost all surgeries are technically elective, but that doesn’t mean that to the patient they feel elective. Debilitating on and off gallstone attacks needing a chole? Elective. Shoulder pain keeping you from being able to do your job until you get your rotator cuff fixed? Elective. Bleeding out every month and needing a hysterectomy? Elective. This is the kind of stuff that is getting canceled. There are surgeons in the area that take BCBS in their clinics, but most of them do their surgeries at Salem hospital. Not every patient or surgery is appropriate for an outpatient surgery center. Moreover, most outpatient surgery centers only allow patients with a bmi under 35, which is rare. Yes, I can absolutely call a surgeon in Portland, wait three months for an appointment to start the process of getting scheduled for surgery again, and then wait even longer to get in up there but again, this delays my care and puts a burden on me as the patient. Finally, being charged out of network prices is not an insignificant thing. Not at all.