OH reaches ‘verbal agreement’ with Anthem
Until now, consumers had only a handful of providers in the region who would accept "
Now, however, Ranallo said he remains confident that the verbal agreement will develop into a signed contract in the coming days.
"We're very excited that we could come to an agreement and have this completed," he said. "It's important to us that the residents of our community have access to our facilities. This is a good thing for the hospitals, the health system and the local consumer."
News that the region's largest health provider may not accept coverage from the only marketplace insurer sparked outrage among some consumers last week. OH serves more than 90 percent of
Still, this year's open enrollment period has come with its fair share of hurdles for consumers. Making good on a year-old campaign promise before the open-enrollment period, Gov.
Then there was the issue of how many options consumers would have on the federal exchange this year. Anthem is the only provider serving all 120
Ranallo said Thursday, however, that part of Anthem's terms are that patients can only receive insurance coverage for in-network providers, which may limit them to OH and a few other doctors in the region. Owensboro Medical Practice, which was one of the few local providers accepting HMO coverage this year has renewed its contract for 2017, according to officials.
A spokesperson with OH said the system does not expect an influx of patients seeking primary care physicians in 2017, but those interested in finding doctors with openings are encouraged to call 844-446-9663.
Individuals who purchase health coverage off the marketplace, either through an employer or an insurance agent, aren't likely to be affected by Anthem's new HMO plans. The company's "
There is also uncertainty about the future of marketplace insurance in the
Repeated attempts to reach Anthem Thursday went unanswered.
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