Anthem Blue Cross To Pay Providers More Than $3M Under Settlement
On Wednesday, the California Department of Managed Health Care announced that it has reached a $3.2 million settlement with Anthem Blue Cross on underpayment of interest for late health care provider claims, the Orange County Register reports (Wolfson, Orange County Register, 4/24).
The claims relate to services provided between July 1, 2007, and April 30, 2011.
Details of Settlement
According to Anthem, about 4,650 providers will receive payment as part of the settlement. The insurer said that 85% of the providers will receive less than $100.
Anthem must make the payments within the next 120 days.
Comments on the Settlement
Brent Barnhart -- director of DMHC -- said, "The agreement ensures that health care providers will be paid fairly and accurately and underscores our commitment to providers," adding, "The proper payment of claims is crucial to the success of California's health care delivery system."
Anthem spokesperson Darrel Ng said that the "claims issues did not affect patient care and only relate[d] to errors in interest payments to providers on overdue bills" (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 4/24). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.