No updates yet on Mercy, Anthem negotiation 

Last edited 1:40 p.m., Nov. 11, 2024 [Editor's note: Comment from Mercy has been added.]

Officials from both Mercy and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield report that there has been no significant movement in negotiations between the two entities. 

Mercy announced Sept. 9 that it intends to end its contract with Anthem effective Jan. 1, which is 50 days from today. Officials with the St. Louis-based health system, which operates locally as Mercy Springfield Communities, have said months of negotiations with Anthem have failed to yield a suitable reimbursement agreement, while Anthem has responded that Mercy wants to drastically increase prices for its members. Letters to the editor in Springfield Business Journal from both organizations have followed, with each being critical of one another.

Anthem spokesperson Emily Snooks replied to an email Friday asking about any news on the talks. 

“We do not have any updates at this time,” she said. 

Mercy Springfield Communities spokesperson Ettie Berneking replied to a similar email Friday.

“Our ongoing discussions with Anthem are focused on our patients across Missouri who have had their care delayed or denied. We will continue to negotiate for agreements that reduce red-tape approval processes for patients and provide sustainable reimbursement rates that keep up with the costs of providing the best care to those we serve," Berneking said.

In September SBJ reporting, Stephanie Vojicic, president of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Missouri, said roughly 30,000 Anthem members had accessed a Mercy hospital or outpatient care center in the past 12 months. 

Individual health marketplace enrollment typically begins in October, according to past reporting, so many people are already making decisions about their health care coverage. 

Anthem’s website states that it has 2.1 million members in Missouri, with 1,520 associates and 88 years on the local market. The U.S. Census Bureau puts the population of Missouri at 6.2 million.