With less than a week to go to negotiate insurance plans, MU Health Care says it's likely that customers with Anthem will see their insurance plans falter, as no headway is being made on negotiations.
MU Health Care sent an email to students and customers Monday night updating them on the status of the negotiations and expressing its disappointment at the potential outcome.
MU Health Care is seeking a 39% increase in prices over the next three years — which Anthem says is four times the rate of inflation. Anthem argues these demands would make health care unaffordable.
Meanwhile, MU Health Care says there's precedent in asking for the price raise, saying it reflects the increase in costs to provide lifesaving care.
Here's a timeline of the negotiation process and where it stands right now.
Timeline of negotiations
December 11, 2024: KOMU 8 News reported Anthem and MU Health Care were working on a new agreement. Anthem first issued statements regarding its concern for proposed price increases. MU Health Care said it wants to avoid its services being out-of-network to Anthem users.
February 11, 2025: MU Health Care announced that the system's participation in Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage will terminate by the end of March. Anthem announced that MU Health Care was requesting a price increase of 39% over three years, which was less than initially offered but in its view was still too much. MU Health Care said it wished for negotiations to end.
February 19, 2025: Negotiations between MU Health Care and Anthem stalled, with little progress achieved. "We have been in negotiation for quite some time, and progress has stalled," Chief Medical Officer for Ambulatory Care Laura Morris said in an email to state workers. An Anthem spokesperson said the proposed price increases would provide challenges for the entire state.
March 24, 2025: MU Health Care sent an email to state workers saying, "it seems likely there will be an out-of-network-period." MU Health Care also expressed frustration with Anthem throughout the negotiation process.
March 31, 2025: Deadline for an agreement to be made between MU Health Care and Anthem.
April 1, 2025: MU Health Care providers and facilities will be out of Anthem's commercial network.
