Anthem previously said the two parties may forgo their in-network agreement if a contract dispute failed to reach a resolution, according to a letter obtained by The Durango Herald.
In the March 24 letter, Anthem notified policyholders it had yet to ink a new agreement or extend its current contract with Centura, which includes 17 hospitals. The payer and provider had extended the contract termination date from May 7 to May 11.
Anthem and Centura did not offer specifics of the contract discussions, but Anthem spokesperson Tony Felts told The Durango Herald, “In general, all insurers have contracts with hospitals that detail reimbursement rates that [insurers] will pay to hospitals on behalf of the medical services the hospitals provide to the insurer’s members. The contracts are usually multi-year. When the contract nears expiration, negotiations on a new contract begin, which describes the current Anthem-Centura Health situation.”
Anthem said it was required give policyholders a 45-day notice before a potential network change, the report states.
Editor’s note: This article was updated April 3 at 2:45 CT to reflect Anthem and Centura reached terms March 30.
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