It’s the holiday season—the time for good cheer, giving back, and counting our blessings. But while everyone else is focused on generosity, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield seems fixated on just the opposite. Instead of warm tidings, Anthem is delivering chilly negotiations to health systems across the country.
Need proof? Just take a look at the public fights Anthem’s picking this season. Stamford Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK), MU Health, Ohio State, Scripps—these are just a few of the systems forced into a standoff with one of the nation’s largest insurers. Anthem’s message to them is clear: accept our rates or risk leaving patients in limbo. Goodwill toward all apparently isn’t part of Anthem’s holiday vocabulary.
Take Stamford Health, a community-focused system in Connecticut, known for its dedication to patient-centered care. Instead of coming to the table to strike a fair deal, Anthem’s been playing hardball, threatening access to trusted local hospitals just as families gather for the holidays. Meanwhile, MSK—one of the world’s premier cancer centers—faces off with Anthem over fair reimbursement. Patients depend on MSK to provide cutting-edge treatments, the kind of compassionate, specialized care you don’t find under just any tree. But Anthem’s “gift” is to keep that care dangling out of reach if MSK doesn’t play along.
Not feeling festive yet? Let’s consider Ohio State’s academic medical center and Scripps Health in California—both revered for quality care, both caught in Anthem’s icy negotiation tactics, leaving patients on the outside looking in. You’d think ensuring stable access to care would be at the top of Anthem’s list, but their actions suggest otherwise.
In a season defined by giving, Anthem seems bent on taking—taking away reasonable reimbursement, taking away access to top-tier providers, and taking away patients’ peace of mind when they most need it. Instead of roasting chestnuts over an open fire, Anthem’s roasting hospitals on the open market, hoping they’ll cave into below-market rates that threaten their ability to keep delivering the level of care patients deserve.
It’s time we hold Anthem accountable. Patients shouldn’t have to worry that their lifelong doctor, their specialized oncology center, or their trusted community hospital is suddenly out of reach because of an insurer’s Grinch-like behavior. Our healthcare system is strained enough—no one needs Anthem adding to the pressure just to pad their own profits.
So, as you’re sipping cocoa and singing carols this year, take a moment to consider this: Anthem’s not passing out candy canes; they’re passing out migraines to hospitals and patients alike. And while the holidays should be about hope, health, and generosity, Anthem’s trying to hand out a season of uncertainty instead.
You’re a mean one, Anthem BCBS—and we’re all watching. It’s time you realize that in the spirit of the season, patients deserve better.
