RESOLVED: BCBS New Mexico vs Lovelace Health System

Resolved — New Contract

May 27, 2026

Lovelace Health System and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico reached a new deal to ensure BCBSNM customers remain in-network.

The new, 4-year participation agreement will ensure all Lovelace facilities and employed physicians and providers will remain in-network with BCBSNM. According to Lovelace, patients with BCBSNM insurance, including “all commercial, individual/family, Medicare Advantage and Turquoise Medicaid plans,” don’t need to take any action to continue receiving in-network rates.

The agreement ensures that roughly 79,000 Lovelace patients with BCBSNM insurance can continue accessing health system’s services at in-network rates.

Sources: Albuquerque Journal, KOB

April 30, 2026

Lovelace Health System, one of the Albuquerque metro’s three major hospital and health care networks, may soon be designated as an out-of-network provider for one New Mexico’s largest health insurers. Unless an agreement is reached, the current contract expires on May 31.

The following BCBSNM plans would be affected:

  • ParPlan
  • PPO
  • POS
  • HMO
  • Blue Advantage HMO
  • Blue Preferred
  • Blue Community HMO
  • Blue Cross Medicare Advantage (PPO)
  • Blue Cross Medicare Advantage (HMO)
  • Turquoise Care

Lovelace is one of the three major hospital systems in the Albuquerque metro, alongside Presbyterian and UNM Health. Many BCBSNM plans consider Presbyterian to be out-of-network for metro area residents. Losing Lovelace would leave UNM Health as the only hospital system in the metro area within network.

Sources: KOB, KRQE via Yahoo!News