COLUMBIA — The state senator who has been pushing MU Health Care and Anthem to sign a deal has signaled a possible development in contract negotiations.
Cindy O'Laughlin (R-Shelbina) used a football analogy on her Facebook page Friday that may indicate MU Health Care and Anthem have reached a deal.
O'Laughlin, the leader of the Missouri Senate, said on Facebook that UM System President Mun Choi and Rich Novack, the president of commercial markets at Anthem's parent company, were "close to an agreement."
"I believe we are going to score a win," she wrote in the Facebook post, made at 11:58 a.m. About an hour and a half later, she posted the word "touchdown," on her page.
"Details next week," O'Laughlin wrote. "Thank you to President Choi and Rich from Anthem."
O'Laughlin's original post at 1:33 p.m. contained only the word, "Touchdown." She updated the post at 2:40 p.m. and said, "An agreement in principal is reached." She updated the post one minute later removing that sentence, bringing the post to its current version. The edit history of posts is viewable on Facebook.
O'Laughlin told KOMU 8 Friday evening that she was not advised to edit the post.
MU Health Care spokesperson Eric Maze told KOMU 8 Friday afternoon that MU Health Care has been engaged with Anthem throughout the day but that the two parties do not have a signed agreement.
"Our goal remains to reach an agreement that restores in-network access for Anthem members," MU Health Care wrote in an emailed statement to KOMU 8.
MU Health Care emailed a different statement to KOMU 8 earlier in the day that Maze said was outdated.
O'Laughlin's legislative assistant, Lisa Garrison, told KOMU 8 on Friday that, based on O'Laughlin's post, she thought it "sounds like" MU Health Care and Anthem had signed a deal, but she could not confirm. She said O'Laughlin's office would not provide further information until MU Health Care and Anthem release more information.
O'Laughlin told KOMU 8 Friday evening that she has agreed to let MU and Anthem release further details, which she said they are still working on. However, she indicated optimism about the deal.
"I am confident the coverage will be available and both parties are satisfied," O'Laughlin told KOMU 8 in a written message. "I am very pleased that President Choi and Anthem worked this out."
KOMU 8 has reached out to Anthem and has not received a response.
History of negotiations
O'Laughlin has been pushing MU Health Care and Anthem to sign a deal since a June 30 Missouri Senate committee hearing over the negotiations.
O'Laughlin originally asked the chair of the Insurance and Banking Committee to organize the public hearing over the negotiations.
The Missouri Senate president pro tem called on MU Health Care and Anthem earlier this week to ink a deal by Thursday.
An Anthem spokesperson told KOMU 8 that Anthem has presented several offers since the hearing. MU Health Care confirmed to KOMU 8 that it received a proposal from Anthem on Monday.
MU Health Care and Anthem failed to reach a contract negotiation by April 1, putting nearly 90,000 patients without in-network access.
MU Health Care was originally seeking a 39% increase in prices over the next three years, which Anthem said was four times the rate of inflation.
