Hillsboro Medical Center will remain an in-network hospital for Regence BlueCross BlueShield commercial plan members under a new multi-year agreement announced Thursday, Aug. 27.

The deal ends months of uncertainty for Hillsboro residents who get their insurance through an employer and rely on the city's primary hospital at 335 SE 8th Ave.

The previous contract between Regence and OHSU Health, which includes Hillsboro Medical Center, lapsed late last year. A continuation-of-services agreement kept patients' in-network access intact while the two sides negotiated.

The new agreement covers more than 270,000 Oregonians with Regence commercial or employer-sponsored plans, The Lund Report reported. It applies to OHSU Hospital, Doernbecher Children's Hospital and Hillsboro Medical Center.

The dispute centered on how much Regence would pay for care. OHSU argued it needed higher payments to cover rising labor and supply costs, while Regence said it had to hold down hospital payments to keep coverage affordable, The Oregonian reported. Neither side disclosed the rates.

"We know our communities depend on reliable access to high-quality care at a cost that employers and members can sustain," Regence Chief Network Management Officer Zak Ramadan-Jradi said in the joint announcement.

Medicare Advantage, marketplace plans excluded

The agreement does not extend to Regence Medicare Advantage or individual marketplace plans for 2027. Starting Jan. 1, 2027, Hillsboro Medical Center will no longer be in network for those members. Regence Medicare Supplement plans, known as Medigap, are not affected.

That gap touches a sizable group statewide. About 44,200 Oregonians are enrolled in Regence Medicare Advantage plans, including roughly 12,600 in the Portland tri-county area, according to federal data cited by The Oregonian.

Regence also had about 28,000 people enrolled in individual health plans as of March 2026. Those figures do not show how many of those members use Hillsboro Medical Center specifically.

Members on affected plans can continue receiving care at Hillsboro Medical Center at in-network rates through Dec. 31 under a transition agreement already in place.

Upcoming enrollment deadlines

Medicare Advantage members can review and switch plans during the annual open enrollment period from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. People who buy their own coverage through the state marketplace can choose a new plan starting in November 2026.