Three more Connecticut hospitals — Windham Hospital, Day Kimball Healthcare and Middlesex Hospital — have signed onto the state’s health plan for the uinsured following an agreement between the state and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday credited his January settlement with Anthem for rounding out patient access to one hospital in every county in Connecticut under the state’s Charter Oak Health Plan.
Earlier this year, only 17 of the 32 hospitals in Connecticut had executed agreements to participate with Charter Oak insurers, with no hospitals in Windham and Middlesex counties participating, Blumenthal said.
The attorney general raised concerns late last year about clauses in Anthem’s contracts with many Connecticut hospitals that threatened to deter them from participating in Charter Oak. The clauses, commonly called “most favored nations” clauses, require hospitals to provide Anthem with discounts at least as favorable as any provided to its competitors.
In an agreement last month, Anthem is waiving this clause for Charter Oak, enabling hospitals to freely accept Charter Oak without fear of financial repercussions from Anthem for breach of contract.
Under Charter Oak, participating hospitals agree to accept discounted rates for services and treatment provided to members.
Blumenthal commended Anthem for its continued cooperation in his ongoing antitrust investigation.
