CommonSpirit and Anthem come to an agreement

CommonSpirit Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced Friday that they have come to an agreement the will again allow Anthem members access to CommonSpirit providers.

The news comes after the two companies announced that CommonSpirit would no longer be covered under Anthem insurance on May 1. After months of negotiations an agreement could not be reached. CommonSpirit attributed the stall to Anthem not being willing to meet reimbursement rates that would account for reasonable fees for doctors. Anthem said CommonSpirit had some of the highest reimbursement fees and it was concerned that increasing them higher would increase premiums for its customers.

The new contract is a five-year agreement. Both organizations also agreed that any care Anthem members received in a CommonSpirit facility since May 1 would be covered at in-network benefit levels. 

“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. “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.”

“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. “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.”