Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield chooses HCA as provider for marketplace [The Roanoke Times, Va.]

Sept. 26--Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced Wednesday that HCA Virginia Health System will be the preferred provider for its insurance plans sold through a new federal marketplace.

HCA includes the four LewisGale hospitals in Western Virginia and all LewisGale physicians and practices.

While the LewisGale facilities in Southwest Virginia will be providers, their relationship will not be exclusive under the plans.

However, patients at LewisGale facilities in the region will have lower out-of-pocket costs than those treated by other providers, the hospital system and Anthem said in announcing the agreement.

In other regions, including central Virginia, HCA will be the exclusive network under the plans.

Enrollment is scheduled to begin Tuesday on the Health Insurance Marketplace, a system run by the federal government that will offer subsidized insurance to people with low to moderate incomes.

A key part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the marketplace will have a variety of plans for people making up to four times the federal poverty guideline.

The guideline is $11,490 for an individual and $23,550 for a family of four.

Subsidized insurance plans that go on sale next week through the marketplace will take effect Jan. 1.

"People are looking for more value for their healthcare dollar, and our long-term, positive relationship with Anthem has resulted in an agreement that will provide exactly that," Margaret Lewis, president of HCA's Capital Division, said in a prepared statement.

The agreement includes 13 HCA hospitals in Virginia, 27 outpatient centers and 260 physicians. The hospitals in Western Virginia are LewisGale Medical Center in Salem, LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, LewisGale Hospital Pulaski and LewisGale Hospital Alleghany.

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