MU Health Care and Anthem reach a deal to restore coverage

By: Tyler White, Columbia Missourian
MU Health Care and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reached a deal Tuesday that restores in-network access immediately for more than 90,000 patients in central Missouri.

The new agreement will be finalized over the next couple of weeks, according to a joint news release from MU Health Care and Anthem.
The agreement is retroactively effective April 1 and applies to both Anthem members in employer-sponsored and Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.

The deal will not include Anthem’s Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans.

Negotiations stalled on April 1 when both sides could not agree, and in-network access was terminated for Anthem members.

MU Health Care and Anthem have been at the negotiation table since July 2024 and failed to come to an agreement until Tuesday.

“We understand this process created stress and concern for many, and we are deeply grateful for the patience and trust placed in us during this time,” Stevan Whitt, MU Health Care’s chief medical officer, said in the release.

The president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri praised the two sides for finding common ground.

Read in full here.