UNL will host two Aug. 21 information sessions on Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s ongoing contract negotiations with Catholic Health Initiatives.

The one-hour sessions are 9 a.m. in the Nebraska Union Auditorium and 1 p.m. in the Varner Hall Boardroom. Both are free and open to faculty and staff.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska and the Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives are in contract negotiations. The existing contract ends Aug. 31.

If a resolution is not reached by the contract deadline, University of Nebraska employees and their dependents who use services of CHI providers will be responsible for additional costs for using out-of-network healthcare services. Employee out-of-pocket limits will not apply to the charges above amounts allowed by the university’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield medical plan. All charges above the amounts allowed (plus deductible and coinsurance limits) will be the employee’s responsibility.

Greg Clayton, director of benefits and risk management for Human Resources at UNL, said that CHI providers in Lincoln that will be affected by the contract issue include St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and the Nebraska Heart Hospital.

“All the other doctors in Lincoln have a separate agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield,” Clayton said. “They will not be affected by these contract negotiations. The only real impact in Lincoln involves services at St. Elizabeth’s and the Heart Hospital.”

Lists of CHI and non-CHI providers are available for review online at http://update.nebraskablue.com/member-information/my-doctor/.

Additional information, including explanations on how to apply for continuing care from a CHI provider, is available at http://update.nebraskablue.com/.

Faculty and staff unable to attend the UNL sessions can access a live webcast of a noon, Aug. 22 presentation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The session, which will include the same information presented at the UNL sessions, is available at rtsp://hog.unmc.edu:554/broadcast/bcbslive.mp4. Quicktime is needed to watch the session. The live stream will begin shortly before the sessions opens.

The UNMC session will also be recorded and made available online.

For more information on the contract negotiations, contact UNL Human Resources at hroffice@unl.edu or 402-472-3101.