No Anthem Coverage at 5 Local Hospitals as Talks Break Down

Several months of failed negotiations between Hartford HealthCare and Anthem have left five Connecticut hospitals out of network for patients covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state's largest health insurer.

Thousands could now be facing higher health are costs as a result.

“For the past several months, we have been working diligently to negotiate a new contract with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Unfortunately, our talks with Anthem were unsuccessful,” said Tina Varona of Hartford HealthCare.

Anthem officials said in a statement Wednesday the insurance provider "has been negotiating in good faith with Hartford HealthCare in an effort to reach a new contract. Unfortunately, a contract agreement was not reached."

As the Oct. 1 contract deadline comes and goes, the groups remain at a stalemate. Starting today, Anthem patients will no longer receive in-network coverage at the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain, MidState Medical Center in Meriden, William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, Windham Hospital, the Institute of Living and Jefferson House at Hartford Hospital.

"We are profoundly disappointed that Anthem and Hartford Healthcare have been unable to reach an agreement by deadline, and we are very concerned about the impact that this situation will have on the thousands of Connecticut residents who now find that their hospital provider is no longer in network. We strongly urge the two parties to put the quality and continuity of patient care first and resolve this matter as quickly as possible,” Attorney General George Jepsen and Healthcare Advocate Victoria Veltri said in a joint statement Wednesday.

windham hospital 2
NBCConnecticut.com

If negotiations continue to fail, Natchaug Hospital, Rushford mental health and addiction services, VNA Healthcare, Southington Care Center and the Jerome Home will also be out-of-network as of Nov. 1.

The changes do not affect office visits to Hartford HealthCare Medical Group providers, according to Hartford HealthCare. Patients hospitalized at a Hartford HealthCare facility prior to Oct. 1, or who had surgery and require post-operation procedures after the deadline will continue to receive in-network coverage.

Those receiving Continuation of Care benefits will continue receiving in-network care for a set period of time. Patients are encouraged to call the Anthem number on the back of their insurance cards to see if they qualify.

"Our priority right now is to our members and ensuring that they have access to ongoing and uninterrupted high quality healthcare," Anthem said in a statement. "Anthem is doing everything we can to facilitate a smooth transition for our members. Our nurse case managers are working closely with our members to transition their care to other high quality in-network hospitals and providers, or continue their care at HHC's hospitals when clinically necessary."

Varona said Hartford HealthCare pledges to continue negotiating in hopes of reaching an agreement.

"We are extremely disappointed that Anthem Health Plans, Inc. and the Hartford HealthCare Corporation have allowed their contract to expire today without negotiating a new one,” Gov. Dan Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman said in a joint statement.

“We're not interested in assigning blame. We want to make sure that everyone in our state has access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. We simply cannot let profit margins stand in the way of that goal. Both companies need to return to the table and work out a deal that protects the health of Connecticut residents," the statement continues.

Anyone who has problems receiving care because of the failed negotiations should contact Anthem at 203-677-4000 or go online to find alternate in-network providers or request to continue care with his or her current provider.

Patients can also call the Office of the Healthcare Advocate at 866-466-4446 or the Office of the Attorney General’s Healthcare Advocacy unit at 860-808-5318 for more information, or visit Hartford HealthCare online for a full explanation of the changes and their consequences.

Contact Us