Dive Brief:
- On Wednesday afternoon, Hartford Healthcare and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced the two companies will be parting ways. Ongoing contract negotiations were unsuccessful, meaning the health system’s five Connecticut hospitals are no longer in Anthem’s network.
- In August, Anthem released a statement saying that Hartford was demanding double-digit reimbursement increases; Hartford has denied asking for such substantial increases. An article in the Hartford Courant reported that Hartford was requesting a 100% guaranteed increase, while Anthem was pushing for a 70% guaranteed increase with 30% tied to quality performance and outcomes.
- Hartford physician groups will not be affected. If a deal is not reached by Nov. 1, other Hartford facilities – Natchaug Hospital, Rushford, VNA HealthCare, Southington Care Center and Jerome Home – will also leave the network.
Dive Insight:
State officials have been publicly chastising the two organizations since the split was announced. The governor’s office has asked that the two continue to negotiate, while Connecticut’s Attorney General George Jepsen and healthcare advocate Victoria Veltri released a statement saying they were "profoundly disappointed" in the organizations.
"We are very concerned about the impact that this situation will have on the thousands of Connecticut residents who now find that their hospital provider is no longer in network," they said in a statement.