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Content

A Message to our Anthem Blue Cross Patients

Updated March 19, 2019

About Our Contract with Anthem Blue Cross

What This Means for You

Learn More

What are the Key Issues?

Learn More

Questions About Our Negotiation?

Learn More

Contact Us

If you have any questions please call the customer service line on the back of your Anthem Blue Cross card, or you can reach Sutter Health at (866) 961-8529.

Contract Status

Thank you for partnering with us on your health and wellness. We are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Anthem Blue Cross through Dec. 31, 2022. This agreement ensures your continued access to the integrated Sutter network and the ability to choose your care teams for the foreseeable future.

We know that the negotiations caused uncertainty for many of you, and we appreciate your patience as we strived to reach an agreement that protects your access to the Sutter Health network.

The new agreement is consistent with our ongoing commitment to providing you with coordinated, high-quality and affordable care for years to come.

What Does This Mean To Me?

HMO Patients

We recognize a timely agreement is in the best interest of our patients, employers, hospitals and clinicians. Anthem had the option to allow you to continue seeing your Sutter Health doctor through June 30. Unfortunately, Anthem has chosen to reassign HMO patients to a non-Sutter Health-affiliated doctor starting April 1. There is no change to your care prior to that date. If you have certain ongoing conditions you may qualify for continuity of care with your Sutter Health provider under continuity of care laws. To see if you qualify for continuity of care, please contact the Anthem Blue Cross customer service department number on your identification card.

Anthem’s April 1 deadline for the HMO patients is approaching fast. We want to ensure that Anthem understands how important it is to you to maintain access to your Sutter care teams. If you haven’t already, please contact your employer’s health benefits department to see if you have other options available to you. In addition, we encourage you to contact Anthem directly to relay your concerns and discuss any questions you may have.

Medi-Cal Patients

We recognize a timely agreement is in the best interest of our patients, hospitals and clinicians. If you have certain ongoing conditions you may be able to continue to see your Sutter Health provider under continuity of care laws. To see if you qualify for continuity of care, please contact the Anthem Blue Cross customer service department number on your identification card.

PPO Patients

Patients in PPO networks that include Sutter providers can continue to access Sutter Health doctors and hospitals through June with in network benefits. If you have concerns about maintaining access to your Sutter-affiliated physicians and hospitals, please contact your employer’s health benefit department to see if you have other options available. You can also contact Anthem directly to relay your concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

OpenWhat is the status on the Sutter and Anthem contract negotiations?

Sutter Health and Anthem are currently in negotiations. The contract expired December 31, 2018. We are in the transition agreement phase. Sutter Health has made several concessions to reach an agreement, but we are still far apart based on our previous agreements. We are committed to continuing negotiations and protecting our patients’ access to their Sutter care teams.

OpenWhat are you hoping to accomplish?

We value the relationship our patients have across our integrated network of hospitals, physicians and other providers and want to help provide and coordinate their healthcare for years to come. It’s our goal to protect our patients’ access to the integrated Sutter Health network. We are committed to continuing to do our part to reach an agreement, so we can continue to provide you with high-quality, affordable healthcare.

OpenHow committed are you to reaching agreement?

We recognize that no one benefits from protracted negotiations. We have a strong desire to work collaboratively with Anthem to find creative solutions to any differences than may emerge in the best interest of the Northern California patients we both serve.

OpenWhat happens if you can’t come to agreement?

We recognize a timely agreement is in the best interest of our patients, employers, hospitals and clinicians. If you’ve been reassigned away from your Sutter doctor and have certain ongoing conditions, you or your child may qualify for continuity of care services with your Sutter Health doctor. If you want to continue seeing your Sutter Health doctor, please consider letting Anthem Blue Cross know by calling the customer service number on your identification card.

OpenWhat other options do HMO and PPO patients have?

Sutter contracts with most other major insurance companies. You can find which plans we accept. Additionally, Sutter owns and operates its own health plan: Sutter Health Plus, an HMO health plan that gives employers a variety of affordable and comprehensive products. We also have 50/50 ownership in Sutter Health | Aetna, a new healthcare company that offers employers self-insured EPO and PPO products. You may want to talk with your broker to see if these options are right for you and your employees. Medi-Cal patients should call Anthem Blue Cross customer service for more information.

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