Representatives from some of Massachusetts' biggest employers called on the CEOs of Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare and Anthem to end a monthslong feud over reimbursement rates, according to a Hartford Courant report.
Hartford HealthCare left Anthem's provider network after the organizations failed to negotiate a new contract by a Sept. 30 deadline. The break meant as many as 60,000 Anthem members lost in-network access to Hartford HealthCare's facilities. The dispute continued into early October, when Hartford HealthCare sued Anthem over allegations the insurer changed its emergency care reimbursement policies following the failed negotiations. A district judge tossed that lawsuit earlier this month.
Members from large employers urged the break be mended in a Tuesday letter addressed to Elliot Joseph, president and CEO of Hartford HealthCare, and Jill Hummel, president and general manager of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Connecticut.
"We expect a resolution that improves healthcare quality and access, and insures that high quality care remains affordable for both patients and employers," the employers wrote, according to the report. "It is in everyone's collective best interest — including your own — to immediately return to the negotiating table and resolve this dispute once and for all."
The letter was signed by Mohegan Tribal Chairman Kevin Brown and Bob Tessier, executive director of the CT Coalition of Taft-Hartley Health Funds, as well as state and municipal leaders. Up to 4,000 of Mohegan Sun's 7,000 employees are affected by the dispute, according to Jeff Hamilton, assistant general manager of the casino and resort. Mohegan Sun is self-insured and pays Anthem to provide benefits, he told Hartford Courant.