Good news for Anthem Blue Cross patients: The Business Journal just received the following statement from Anthem Blue Cross regarding the recent termination of its contract with MemorialCare Health System:

 

“Anthem Blue Cross is pleased to announce it today reached an agreement with MemorialCare retroactive to Aug. 15 meaning Anthem members will not experience any disruption to their coverage:

 

‘Anthem Blue Cross is pleased to have reached a three-year agreement that will ensure our members have access to MemorialCare facilities. We’re sorry for any inconvenience the termination of our previous contract may have caused our members, but today’s agreement will help ensure stability going forward. It’s important to our members that we achieve the appropriate balance between access and affordability, and we’ve done that with this new agreement,’ said Brian Ternan, president of Anthem Blue Cross.”

 

Moments later, MemorialCare Health System provided the Business Journal with the following statement from Lori Weaver, the system’s executive director of managed care:

“We are pleased to announce that MemorialCare has reached a definitive agreement with Anthem for our hospital contracts. Effective retroactively to August 15, 2017, MemorialCare hospitals continue to be in-network providers for all Anthem members, allowing our patients and community to continue to receive uninterrupted, exceptional care. We’re reassured that Anthem continues to recognize that MemorialCare is a vital medical resource to the community. MemorialCare will continue to offer our Patient Financial Services Concierge  at 714-377-6897 for our patients, physicians and community members for any concerns or questions they may have.”

 

Earlier in the week, news broke that Anthem Blue Cross and MemorialCare Health System’s contract negotiations had fallen through and their contract terminated, leaving Anthem patients unsure of their ability to access Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. The matter is now resolved.