Anthem Blue Cross and Dignity Health contract terminated
July 26, 2021
Dignity Health issued a notice to terminate its Contracting Hospital Agreement with Anthem Blue Cross. It is Anthem Blue Cross’s intent to reach reasonable contractual language and reimbursement rates that are beneficial to both organizations.
To date, Anthem Blue Cross and Dignity Health have been unable to reach an agreement and the hospital contract with Dignity Health terminated effective July 15, 2021. Anthem Blue Cross continues to negotiate in good faith with Dignity Health in an effort to reach an agreement.
Dignity Health includes the hospitals below located throughout California; affected members are referred to a Dignity Health alternate hospital list:
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital (050036)
California Hospital Medical Center (050149)
Community Hospital of San Bernardino (050089)
Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital (050242)
French Hospital Medical Center (050232)
Glendale Memorial Hospital & Health Ctr (050058)
Marian Regional Med Ctr‐Arroyo Grande (0050LP)
Marian Medical Center (050107)
Mark Twain St Joseph’s Hospital (050366)
St Mary’s Medical Center (050457)
Mercy General Hospital (050017)
Mercy Hospital of Bakersfield (050295)
Mercy Hospital of Folsom (050414)
Mercy Medical Center – Mt Shasta (050419)
Mercy Medical Center – Redding (050280)
Sequoia Hospital (050197)
Sierra Nevada Memorial Miners Hospital (050150)
St Bernardine Medical Center (050129)
St Elizabeth Community Hospital (050042)
St Francis Memorial Hospital (050152)
St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital (0056L4)
St John’s Regional Medical Center (050082)
St Joseph’s Medical Center of Stockton (050084)
St Mary Medical Center Long Beach (050191)
Mercy Medical Center Merced (050444)
Mercy San Juan Medical Center (050516)
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento (050590)
Northridge Hospital Medical Center (050116)
Woodland Memorial Hospital (050127)
Anthem Blue Cross products affected by Dignity Health's contract termination
This hospital contract termination could affect the out‐of‐pocket obligations for most Anthem Blue Cross members who are enrolled in the CalPERS PPO Basic plans (PERSCare, PERS Choice, and PERS Select) and HMO (Traditional HMO and Select HMO) benefit plans and receive care at Dignity Health.
Note: the CalPERS PPO Medicare Supplemental Plans and Medicare Preferred plans are not impacted.Notification about the contract termination
Anthem Blue Cross has notified subscribers who personally accessed, or had a covered family member access, Dignity Health within the last 12 months. In addition, members authorized or scheduled for a service or procedure at Dignity Health will be notified. The letter instructs members to call Anthem Blue Cross at the toll‐free member services number on their ID card if they are in a current course of treatment at Dignity Health or have questions or concerns about the contract termination.
Alternative providers available to members
For a comprehensive list of contracted facilities visit Anthem-California Public Employees' Retirement System Medical Plans.
Dignity Health issued a notice to terminate its HMO Medical Group Contracting Agreements with Anthem Blue Cross. It is Anthem Blue Cross’s intent to reach reasonable contractual language and reimbursement rates that are beneficial to both organizations. Unfortunately, to date, Anthem Blue Cross and Dignity Health have been unable to reach agreement and our HMO Medical Group contracts with Dignity Health will terminate effective September 1, 2021. This termination impacts members in the Select HMO and Traditional HMO who utilize Dignity Health Medical Groups. This does not impact Medicare Supplemental or Medicare Preferred Providers.
The termination affects the following Dignity Health HMO Medical Groups:
Dignity Health- Santa Cruz
Woodland Clinic
Dignity Health- Inland Empire
Mercy Medical Group
Dignity Health- Central California
Dignity Health Medical Group Central California
Impact on members assigned to the Dignity Health HMO Medical Groups
Anthem Blue Cross will transition members from Dignity Health HMO Medical Groups to alternate medical groups effective September 1, 2021. When possible, members are reassigned to alternate medical groups with which their PCPs are affiliated. Members who are not matched to their current PCP through another medical group are assigned to a new PCP or participating medical group near their home. Please note that the hospitals to which members may be admitted will vary according to the admitting privileges maintained by each physician. The hospitals primarily used by Dignity Health HMO Medical Groups’ doctors may be different than those used by a member’s new medical group or PCP.
Information on the transfer
Letters were mailed in advance of the September 1, 2021, effective termination date to members affected by this change.
ID cards for affected members
Members affected by this contract termination will be sent a new ID card no later than five days before September 1, 2021, the effective date.
Please contact Anthem Blue Cross directly at 1-877-737-7776 if you have any questions.
Resources:
Dignity Health Alternate Hospital List
Dignity Health and Anthem Hospital Termination - Impacted Campuses