April 16, 2012 -
As of midnight last night, customers of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will have to pay full price for hospital coverage at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, as negotiations are at a standstill between the hospital and the insurance provider over rates.
This has left some in the community not happy.
Over 150 letters have been signed by members of the Untied Steel Workers Union 200-L asking the hospital to resume negotiations with Anthem, so their members can use the hospital in Saint Marys.
Union members say they have contacted Anthem and the insurance provider blames the hospital for not getting the deal done.
But the hospital is says they are waiting at the table for anthem to come back.
Jeff Vossler, vice president of financial services says Anthem is putting pressure on Joint
Township to get a better rate. Which he says would be unfair to users of other insurance providers, who would have to subsidize the a lower rate for Anthem.
If there is no agreement reach, USW Member Ed Rogers says this will not only hurt union members by the community as a whole.
Vossler says their door is open to all Anthem users, and there is no word when both sides will sit back down at the table to work out a deal.
