[Date]
Premera Blue Cross
Attn: Member Services / Office of the Chief Medical Officer
P.O. Box 327, Seattle, WA 98111-0327
Re: Member concern — new payment policy for physical therapy (Policy CP.PP.099 v4.0, effective December 4, 2026)
Dear Premera:
I am a Premera member ([Plan name], Member ID [XXXX]). I am writing because I understand Premera has adopted a new payment policy that, beginning December 4, 2026, will significantly cut what Premera pays physical therapy clinics for the care members like me receive.
As I understand it, when a therapy visit includes more than one treatment service — which describes nearly every physical therapy visit — Premera will pay the first service in full and cut a major portion of the payment for each additional service, even though the therapist's time, the treatment space, and the equipment are used for the entire visit. Analyses shared among Washington providers estimate this works out to roughly a 15–20% cut per visit, with no change in the care delivered or what it costs clinics to deliver it.
Physical therapy matters to me personally. [Briefly describe your experience — e.g., “Physical therapy at (clinic) helped me recover from surgery / return to work / avoid pain medication or an operation.”]
My concern is simple: independent clinics cannot absorb a cut of this size, and many will have to see fewer Premera patients or leave Premera's network entirely. That means my premiums buy less — fewer in-network therapists, longer waits, and farther to travel for care that helps people avoid far more expensive imaging, medication, and surgery. Reducing access to physical therapy does not save money; it shifts members toward costlier care.
I respectfully ask Premera to:
- Withdraw or delay this policy before its December 4, 2026 effective date;
- Publish its analysis of how the policy will affect members' access to in-network physical therapy; and
- Meet with Washington's physical therapy community before making changes of this magnitude.
I chose Premera expecting reliable access to the care my plan covers. Please reconsider this policy.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[City, WA] · [Plan name] · Member ID [XXXX]
[Email] · [Phone]