ELMIRA, NY (WENY) -- An urgent care provider with locations across the Southern Tier may accept take a widely-used insurance carrier in the near future.

WellNow Urgent Care announced it will stop accepting Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield beginning January 1st, 2024. That's if Excellus BCBS doesn't increase its reimbursement rates. If that happens, WellNow Urgent Care locations will be considered "Out of Network" for Excellus patients.

WellNow claims rates from Excellus have decreased over the last decade, despite inflation of the past few years, and the fact that Excellus has raised premiums for its customers.

"Excellus has been given permission by the New York Department of Financial Services to raise its premiums almost every year. By our calculation, that's more than an 8 percent increase in premiums each year for their customers since 2017," said Sam Meites, President of WellNow Urgent Care. "Yet, they don't want to commit to reasonable rate increases that would help pay for the dedicated healthcare professionals who have worked proudly to meet New York's urgent care needs. That's Excellus placing pure profit over its members' care." 

Locally, WellNow Urgent Care operates three locations; in Big Flats, Elmira and Ithaca. It operates 70 urgent care clinics across New York state.