CommonSpirit offered rounds of concessions, temporary contract extension to maintain in-network access for patients, which Anthem denied
Centennial, CO (May 1, 2024) – Despite our ongoing, good-faith negotiations, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado removed CommonSpirit Health from its network as of May 1, impacting more than 40,000 patients across the state, some in areas where no other providers are available. CommonSpirit proposed a temporary contract extension that would have allowed us to continue to provide in-network services to Anthem members while negotiations continued, but Anthem denied our request.
Throughout the negotiation, Anthem has refused to acknowledge soaring inflation and offered reimbursement rates that do not keep up with the cost of care. It is necessary for Anthem to agree to fair contract terms and allow patients to maintain access to the doctors they know and trust. Reasonable reimbursements from large insurers like Anthem allow nonprofit hospital systems like CommonSpirit Health to retain healthcare professionals, ensure access to providers and continuity of care, sustain and introduce new services to the community, invest in technologies, and maintain our premier facilities throughout the state.
“Nothing is more important to CommonSpirit Health than ensuring our patients have the high-quality health care they deserve,” said Dr. Oswaldo Grenardo, Chief Medical Officer for the Mountain Region of CommonSpirit. “We offered Anthem a proposal that would have allowed our two organizations to work together to realize better cost efficiencies and give our providers the ability to meet patients’ needs now and in the future. Unfortunately, Anthem refused to acknowledge that proposal.”
Since no agreement has been reached, Anthem now considers 11 Colorado hospitals and dozens of clinics and practices as out-of-network**, leading to increasing costs for members receiving nonemergency services from CommonSpirit physicians and hospitals. Additionally, some patients may be forced to travel great distances to receive care – especially specialized care – and our ability to treat underserved or underinsured patients in low-income communities will be jeopardized.
In the past year in Colorado, CommonSpirit Health has provided more than $45 million in financial assistance, enabling access to specialized services and compassionate care, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.
“CommonSpirit firmly believes that everyone deserves safe, affordable, and high-quality healthcare from their chosen doctors and nurses, which is why we are disappointed that a responsible agreement was not reached. Our aim was to have an agreement that safeguards patient care and protects choice of doctors by keeping CommonSpirit Health services in network for Anthem members,” said Dr. Grenardo.
CommonSpirit stands ready and willing to continue working toward a new agreement, as we successfully did with a multi-state contract involving Aetna just last week.
CommonSpirit is one of the largest nonprofit care providers in Colorado, serving hundreds of communities statewide. Because CommonSpirit Health hospitals and providers are now excluded from Anthem’s network, patients now face:
- Restricted access to the CommonSpirit Health hospitals, surgery centers, doctors and services they rely on.
- Higher out-of-pocket costs from CommonSpirit Health providers and services being reclassified as out-of-network.
- The need to travel great distances for care – especially specialized care, including oncology services, neonatal ICUs, pediatric care, burn centers, accredited stroke centers and more.
To answer patient questions, CommonSpirit Health has established an informational website, www.anthemcommonspirit.com, where patients can learn more about the efforts to protect their access to care. Additionally, patients can call 1-877-213-7081 to receive personal assistance.
**Due to separate contracts, St. Elizabeth Hospital in Fort Morgan will remain in Anthem’s network until July 11, 2024, and Peak One Surgery Center in Frisco will remain Anthem’s network until July 25, 2024..
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About CommonSpirit Health
CommonSpirit Health is a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 by the merger of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. With its national office in Chicago and a team of over 150,000 employees and 35,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, CommonSpirit operates 162 hospitals and more than 2,250 care sites across 24 states. In FY 2023, when normalized for the California provider fee program, CommonSpirit reported revenues of $34.6 billion and provided $5 billion in charity care, community benefit, and unreimbursed government programs.
