Anthem was looking to end its contracts on May 1, but the ruling says that the company must honor its contracts until Sept. 1, when the current agreement expires, allowing 2.5 million Indianans to continue to pay in-network fees at the hospital. The court order also prohibits Anthem from "publicly disparaging" St. Francis hospitals, according to the report.
Anthem threatened to end its contract with St. Francis after it alleged that the hospital had violated the agreement by billing for outpatient procedures at a more expensive in-hospital rate. Hospital officials said that they had not breached the contract or done anything wrong, according to the report.
Both Anthem and St. Francis said that they are committed to continuing talks in the hopes of negotiating a new contract.
Read the Indianapolis Star’s report on the Anthem/St. Francis contract dispute.
