A consumer group that filed suit against Anthem Blue Cross Nov. 1 has requested an injunction preventing the insurer from switching 500,000 Californians to health plans that offer no coverage for out-of-network care, reports Los Angeles Times.
The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims the insurer eliminated out-of-network coverage from the benefits for its preferred provider organization health plan in 2017 without properly informing consumers of the coverage change.
Plaintiffs asked the court Nov. 11 for a temporary restraining order prohibiting Anthem from automatically renewing coverage for members with PPO coverage for 2017 until further notice.
Anthem argued a temporary restraining order "will only create chaos and result in confusion for Anthem's members and, frankly, the marketplace in general," according to court documents obtained by Los Angeles Times.
Judge John Shepard Wiley Jr. is scheduled to hear the consumers' request for an injunction Tuesday.