The Murray-Calloway County Hospital plans to terminate its agreement with Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky in February to start re-negotiating a new long-term agreement.
Hospital CEO Jerome Penner in a published letter said the revenue generated from the current agreement is not enough to keep up with increasing hospital costs.
The letter said individual employers need to decide which insurance company they will use for next year. The hospital is currently contracted with other providers in the area such as Humana and Cigna.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield spokesperson Jeff Blunt in an emailed statement said if an agreement can't be reached with the hospital before February 16, when the contract ends, Murray-Calloway County Hospital would be considered an "out-of-network" hospital for Anthem consumers.
While Anthem would still cover bills at the "in-network" level after the February deadline, Blunt said the hospital could charge fees above what Anthem pays. Blunt also claims Murray-Calloway County Hospital's costs are significantly higher compared to other Kentucky hospitals and that "Murray-Calloway is asking for payment increases that are three times more than a typical Kentucky worker's wage increases."
This story has been updated with a statement from Anthem.
