Mercy Health has ended its contract with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield for Medicaid insurance, leaving tens of thousands of patients in uncertainty. While the contract expired on July 1, Mercy Health will continue to provide out-of-network care to Anthem customers until the end of July. Concerns arise regarding finding new doctors and potential disruptions to insurance coverage. Anthem and Mercy Health assure assistance during the transition, but the impact may extend to all insurance holders in the future.
Several Mercy Health patients who depend on Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield for their Medicaid insurance are currently uncertain. Because the agreement between the hospital system and the insurance company has expired, this situation has arisen. Patients’ Anthem insurance will only be paid out through the end of this month, as a result.
Here are the key points to note:
– The contract between Mercy Health and Anthem Medicaid expired on July 1.
– Mercy Health will continue providing services to Anthem customers until July 31 but as out-of-network care.
– The contract ended because both parties were unable to reach a fair agreement.
– Anthem has assured its customers of assistance in navigating this recent change.
Ashley Garland and her family have been loyal patients at Mercy Health, relying on Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield for the past nine years. Garland speaks highly of the ease of working with them, praising the excellent coverage and knowledgeable doctors who have been instrumental in their situation.
The insurance coverage holds significant importance for the Garlands, particularly for their son Josiah, who has type one diabetes. Garland expressed concern about the future, as Mercy Health and Anthem failed to negotiate a deal regarding Medicaid coverage. The contract expired over the weekend, and Anthem Medicaid patients will only have coverage until the end of July. During this period, any care received will be considered out-of-network and billed accordingly.
She worries about the potential impact on their family and questions whom they can turn to and how they can rebuild that relationship from scratch. Starting over from the ground level is daunting and unsettling for them.
Anthem responded with a statement assuring that their primary focus is to assist their members in transitioning to alternative in-network care providers. They aim to ensure continued access to quality care with minimal disruption. To prevent any disruption in care, Anthem, and Mercy Health have reached an understanding that allows Anthem Medicaid members to receive care from Mercy Health doctors and hospitals, with reimbursement being processed through standard out-of-network procedures until July 31.
Although the contract termination does not directly affect the Garlands since they are not Medicaid customers, Ashley has formulated a contingency plan in case the situation changes. She intends to search for doctors who are still within the network to have a backup plan in place and establish prompt connections if necessary.
Mercy Health also issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to providing quality and compassionate healthcare to all patients. They aim to ease the transition for their patients and offer them sufficient time to switch insurance plans, ensuring long-term access to trusted doctors and facilities. Therefore, Mercy Health will continue serving Anthem Managed Medicaid patients in Ohio until July 31.
However, Garland is concerned that this development may eventually impact all insurance holders. She fears a snowball effect of problems that may arise in the future.
Mercy Health clarifies that all other patients with Anthem Health insurance are currently unaffected but may face potential repercussions shortly.
