Over the course of the past year, Summit Medical Group (Summit) has engaged in good-faith negotiations with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST). Despite its best efforts, Summit has been unable to reach a fair and sustainable agreement.

As a result, Summit has sent a formal notice of non-renewal to BCBST. Without an updated contract, Summit providers will be out-of-network for BCBST commercial and Medicare Advantage products starting Jan. 1, 2026.

Summit Medical Group was founded with a clear mission: to provide patient-first care rooted in independent, community-based medicine. Summit’s providers are neighbors embedded in the communities they serve, committed to delivering personalized, relationship-focused care.

“Issuing the notice of non-renewal was a necessary step to protect the future of independent medicine and ensure patients continue to have access to high-quality, personalized care,” Summit Medical Group CEO Ed Curtis said. “We remain committed to reaching a fair agreement that supports our providers and the communities we serve.”

Summit wants to assure patients that nothing changes for now and they can continue to seek care at Summit as usual. While Summit is hopeful an agreement can be reached before the contract expires to avoid any disruption, there is a strong possibility Summit may be out-of-network starting in 2026.

Patients will be kept informed with updates as negotiations continue in the coming months.

About Summit Medical Group:

Summit Medical Group is one of Tennessee’s largest independent health care organizations, with more than 500 providers at 96 locations in 23 counties. Summit also consists of four diagnostic imaging centers, mobile diagnostic services, eight physical therapy centers, four express clinics, central laboratory, and sleep services center. Summit provides healthcare services to more than 435,000 patients, averaging over two million encounters annually. For additional information, visit https://www.summitmedical.com/