Anthem, CommonSpirit Health hospitals restore Coloradans’ in-network access
DENVER (KDVR) — An agreement has been reached between Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and CommonSpirit Health hospitals in Colorado just over two weeks after a previous arrangement expired.
According to a press release, the two companies have arranged a five-year contract providing Anthem members continued access to in-network care at all CommonSpirit hospitals, outpatient care centers and physician offices in the Centennial State. The previous agreement expired just before May 1, and the new contract will last through April 2029.
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Additionally, the two companies agreed that any healthcare services received by Anthem members at CommonSpirit locations since May 1 will be covered at in-network benefit levels. That means any care received by Anthem members during May at 11 Colorado hospitals will be considered in-network.
“I’m proud that both organizations stayed at the negotiating table, working hard to reach an agreement to provide Coloradans’ access to affordable health care at CommonSpirit,” said Anthem Colorado President Matt Pickett in a release. “Importantly, the long-term nature of our agreement ensures care provider network stability for our members and cost-predictability for Colorado employers for years to come.”
Details of the new contract were not released with the news of the agreement on Friday, May 17.
“Our patients are at the heart of all we do, and through our partnership with Anthem, we will ensure our patients continue to receive compassionate care from the doctors and nurses they know and trust,” said Andrew Gaasch, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of the CommonSpirit Mountain Region, in a release. “Our goal has always been to ensure we can meet the needs of our patients while continuing to provide essential services to our communities today and into the future.”
CommonSpirit said on May 1 that the lack of in-network care would affect over 40,000 patients and said Anthem was refusing to acknowledge inflation rates and “offered reimbursement rates that do not keep up with the cost of care.”
Anthem at the time pointed the blame back at CommonSpirit, saying that the insurance provider offered a multi-year agreement with “reasonable reimbursement rates,” but that CommonSpirit has “a pattern of disrupting care for its patients as a negotiation tactic to demand unreasonable price hikes.”
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Anthem members with questions can contact the Member Service phone number on their Anthem ID card. CommonSpirit patients may visit mountain.commonspirit.org for assistance in finding options for care.
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