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Brown and Toland tells SFHSS board 34 primary-care doctors will leave its network; 1,500 members affected, plans say
Summary
Brown and Toland Medical Group told the San Francisco Health Service System board that about 34 primary-care physicians tied to Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation will exit the Brown and Toland network when contracts expire, affecting roughly 1,500 members; Blue Shield said members were notified during open enrollment and HSS and vendors will work on outreach and transitions.
Brown and Toland Medical Group representatives told the San Francisco Health Service System (HSS) board that contractual changes with Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation will remove about 34 primary-care physicians from the Brown and Toland network when existing contracts expire at year‑end.
"We have 34 PCPs that are terminating from the network," Brown and Toland representative Therese Crossett said, and the organization is pursuing reciprocity agreements for specialist access and an interim MOU to bridge members into the new year. Brown and Toland framed the change as part of a broader negotiation with Sutter that aims to preserve specialist access even as some primary‑care physicians shift affiliation.
Paul Brown of Blue Shield told the board the member impact is limited but not negligible: "There are approximately 1,500 members that are impacted," he said, with about 1,450 in Access Plus and roughly 50 Trio members. Blue Shield said it issued letters beginning Nov. 1 and that the company complies with the Department of Managed Health Care requirement to provide 60 days' notice to affected members.
Board members pressed staff and vendors on communication and front‑desk handling when members present at the wrong clinic. Brown and Toland said member services staff have been trained and contact information was made available; Pamela Levin and Mitchell Griggs (HSS) said HSS is compiling lists of affected members and will work directly with those who report problems after Jan. 1. HSS Executive Director Abby Yant said the incident highlighted the need to coordinate contract timing with open‑enrollment cycles.
The meeting record shows Brown and Toland offered to return to the board with updates, and Blue Shield and HSS staff committed to monitoring transfers and assisting members who must choose new primary‑care providers or change plans during the open‑enrollment period.
Next steps: HSS staff and the health plans will follow up with a status update and member outreach to reduce front‑desk disruptions and reassignments; board members requested a February update on how many members needed re-assignment or plan changes as a result of the network shift.
