Hospital attorneys have filed a request for a hearing with the state insurance department to review and reconsider the facility's out-of-network status, according to the report. Frisbie Memorial is also seeking information about the process Anthem used to determine which healthcare providers to include in the network. Hospital officials have said the narrow network wasn't created through a public process.
State senators have already questioned the insurer about its plans to form a narrower network — which will include 74 percent of the state's primary care providers, 16 of its 26 acute-care hospitals and 85 percent of specialists. In September, Anthem President Lisa Guertin told state senators the insurer feels it has created a health insurance network that offers the best possible value and strikes a balance between accessibility and affordability.
The insurer reportedly decided to shrink its network after deciding it didn't need all of the state's 26 hospitals to provide quality care to its enrollees. However, policymakers have expressed concerns about the network's accessibility. New Hampshire Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley has said Anthem's plan will ration healthcare and will disrupt state residents' ability to get treated at the hospital or hospital-owned physician practice of their choice.
Anthem plans to shift the
If the state grants the request for a hearing, Frisbie Memorial plans to advocate for a policy that will guarantee any willing provider a good faith negotiation with any insurance provider that sells health insurance under the healthcare reform law, according to the report.
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