The state’s largest insurer and northeast Indiana’s largest healthcare network appear to be at loggerheads over rates.
The issue between Indianapolis-based Anthem and Fort Wayne’s Parkview Health became public a few days ago in a press release posted on Purdue University’s media page. According to Purdue’s Human Resources statement, Anthem intends to terminate its contract with Parkview on April 29 if a new agreement is not reached that would lower costs.
Over the past couple of years, a variety of studies have shown that Indiana patients pay much more than the Medicare rates for inpatient and outpatient care. In May, Parkview was identified by the National Hospital Transparency Report as the second-highest in price for the state, with costs at 395 percent of Medicare.
In January, Moody’s Investor Services changed Parkview’s ratings from stable to negative, in part due to the renegotiation of the network’s largest contract.
Parkview was notified of Anthem’s desire to renegotiate in October. In a written statement Wednesday, Parkview officials said nothing would change before April 29, and that they continue to negotiate with Anthem in good faith, to keep their doctors, facilities and services in-network. Health network officials created a webpage to further explain the situation.
A spokesman for Anthem said the talks are a normal part of business and are continuing. The company says it is taking concerns about the cost of healthcare very seriously.
