Mount Sinai and Anthem to part ways after failed contract negotiations
Mount Sinai’s contract with Anthem is over on Dec. 31.
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Mount Sinai Health System and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield may be parting ways after not agreeing on terms to renew their contract. This decision could leave thousands of patients in a difficult spot.
Mount Sinai’s contract with Anthem is over on Dec. 31.
If they can’t agree, more than 9,000 Mount Sinai physicians will no longer be a part of the Anthem network starting Jan. 1, and Mount Sinai’s hospitals and facilities will be out of network starting in March.
“We’re deeply disappointed that Anthem hasn’t addressed the issues we’ve been discussing,” Mount Sinai said in a statement.
“Mount Sinai’s price increases would add $1 billion in new healthcare costs for New York patients and businesses,” Anthem said in a statement. “That’s five times higher than the general inflation rate."
Mount Sinai told News 12 that Anthem's claims about costs are untrue and misleading and says Anthem has enjoyed record profits.
Meanwhile, patients say they’re the ones who will be suffering from this separation.
“There's a lot of people who are going to be hurt very badly by this, and we've not even been given two weeks' notice that it's happening,” patient Avram Piltch said. “My fear for myself is that I'm not going to be able to afford to see my doctors anymore.”
Mount Sinai said in a letter that members in active treatment for serious conditions won’t lose access to their doctors. That includes patients with cancer, chronic illness, pregnancy or other serious conditions.
