A Message to our Anthem Blue Cross Patients
Updated March 19, 2019
About Our Contract with Anthem Blue Cross
What This Means for You
What are the Key Issues?
Questions About Our Negotiation?
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.