LAFAYETTE, Ind. -– The Sisters of St. Francis Health Services Inc. (SSFHS) announced October 13 that its contract with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana is set to end November 2, 2008.
Reasons for the termination include Anthem’s lack of accurate and timely claims payment and the inability to secure contract terms comparable to other hospitals in the area, SSFHS officials said.
The termination will cover the following SSFHS hospitals and physicians:
- St. Elizabeth Regional Health, including St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Home Hospital in Lafayette;
- St. Clare Medical Center in Crawfordsville;
- St. Francis Hospital & Health Center in Indianapolis;
- St. Francis Hospital & Health Center in Beech Grove;
- St. Francis Hospital & Health Center in Mooresville;
- St. Anthony Medical Center in Crown Point;
- St. Anthony Memorial Health Center in Michigan City;
- St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center in Hammond;
- St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center in Dyer;
- Franciscan Physicians Hospital in Munster; and
- More than 300 physicians in the different SSFHS service areas.
“SSFHS is a good partner that works closely with payers to resolve claims problems when they occur,” said Greg Yust, SSFHS vice president of managed care contracting. “We recently forged successful long-term agreements with Aetna, Humana, Sagamore and CIGNA. The Anthem claims issues have been ongoing for more than a year with no progress whatsoever.”
St. Elizabeth hopes to work out a new agreement with Anthem. In the event SSFHS is unable to reach an agreement, it will continue to work with Anthem, patients and employers to limit the impact the contract dispute might cause.
