Connecticut Big Y pharmacies dropped from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield network

Jan. 10—Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, one of the largest health insurers in Connecticut, has dropped the pharmacies of supermarket chain Big Y from its network, but the reasons for the decision were not immediately clear.

The change, which was enacted on Jan. 1, was confirmed this week by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield officials. As a result, Anthem members can longer get medication discounts through in-network coverage at Big Y's pharmacies in Connecticut. Big Y has pharmacies at its stores in Bethel, East Windsor, Ellington, Groton, Killingly, Manchester, Mansfield, Marlborough, Naugatuck, New Milford, North Branford, Norwich, Old Saybrook, Stafford, Stonington, Stratford, Tolland and Torrington.

"We regularly evaluate our pharmacy networks with the goal of maintaining affordable access to care for employers, plans and members, while ensuring members have convenient access to high-quality pharmacies," Anthem officials said in a written statement on Friday. "When there is a pharmacy network change, we notify members multiple times and provide helpful information about in-network pharmacies that are close to members' residences. While Big Y is no longer in our network in Connecticut as of Jan. 1, there are hundreds of pharmacies in our network throughout the state."

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Anthem officials declined to comment further on why Big Y pharmacies had been removed from their network.

A message left Friday for Big Y was not immediately returned.

In Connecticut, Anthem has more than 1.1 million members, according to its website.

Among other recent developments, Anthem last month backed off a decision that could have led to it not paying for the full duration of anesthesia used in surgeries in Connecticut, New York and Missouri, if operations lasted longer than predetermined limits.

The plan had been panned by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, whose president, Donald Arnold, said the prospective change was "just the latest in a long line of appalling behavior by commercial health insurers looking to drive their profits up at the expense of patients and physicians."

Anthem officials disputed such criticism.

"To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services," Anthem officials said in a statement at the time. "The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines."

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