Business & Tech

Des Peres Hospital Cancels Anthem Contracts

Higher co-pays are expected for visitors covered under Anthem managed care plans.

and Saint Louis University Hospital announced last week that they are cancelling managed care contracts with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri and Healthlink, at the end of the month.

The move is due to failed contract negotations, according to a statement from the hospitals that are owned by Tenet Healthcare.

"The issue is that Anthem is refusing to even negotiate," said Simone Valle, a spokesperson for Des Peres Hospital. "Saint Louis University Hospital and Des Peres Hospital have put several offers on the table and Anthem has made no offers and has not responded to ours. This is not industry standard, and Anthem knows it."

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Beginning Jan. 1, Anthem and HealthLink members will be forced to pay out-of-network rates with higher co-pays when they use the hospitals.

"Anthem is causing a disruption of care for our patients, physicians, employees and community," Valle said. "We are ready to sit at the table with them tomorrow, if Anthem will contact us."

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A spokesperson for Anthem Blue Cross told the St. Louis Business Journal that the contracts would have automatically renewed next year.


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