ÑÇÖÞÎÞÂë

Setting the Record Straight on Mercy Negotiations By Stephanie Vojicic Nearly 1 In 12 U.S. adults owe medical debt, and nearly 67% of all bankruptcies in America are tied to medical expense issues, whether due to the high costs of medical bills or the loss of income after taking time off from work. At Anthem, we believe that affordability matters, as nearly 50% of Americans say they have difficulty paying their medical bills. Ask Missouri employers who directly pay their employees’ healthcare bills how decades of skyrocketing costs have impaired their ability to hire, invest, and grow. Local, state and federal officials are also concerned about affordability as they seek to be good stewards of our tax dollars. Anthem, and others in our industry, work to ensure that the prices for healthcare services provided by ever-expanding health systems are reasonable and account for inflation. We achieve this by working collaboratively towards long term contracts which create stability for those who purchase our products and services. Over the past several months we have been working on an agreement to keep Mercy doctors and facilities in our networks. This is about what you and your employer pay for healthcare To be clear, Anthem has offered Mercy a multi-year agreement that includes moderate price increases above the current rate of inflation each year for the next three years. Mercy has rejected and responded with a multi-year demand for increases that exhibits a clear disregard for affordability – for employers, TaftHartley programs, government budgets, the people covered by these plans, and not coincidentally, Mercy patients. Mercy and Anthem have reached agreement on terms for our Medicaid and Medicare plans, but Mercy is refusing to sign these agreements to leverage getting more money from employer- sponsored plans. Purposefully putting Missouri’s most vulnerable people in jeopardy to extract higher prices is a distressing tactic that we will not accept. Higher costs for you. Higher cash flow and profits for an ever-expanding Mercy. We are stewards of your money, and we take that responsibility seriously. Anthem remains committed to Missourians It’s important to remember that Mercy remains in-network with Anthem through the end of 2024. If Mercy chooses to become an out-of-network option starting January 1, 2025, we are ready to help our members fully understand whether their plan has an out of network benefit or how to transition to one of the thousands of alternative innetwork providers who also provide quality medical care. And for those with serious and complex medical conditions, we will ensure they can continue their care with their current Mercy doctor. Regardless of Mercy’s actions and demands for more money, Anthem is here for our members. Our member services team is ready to help. Above all, we will continue to protect access to high-quality, affordable care for all Missourians. For the latest updates related to our ongoing negotiations with Mercy, please visit Anthem.com/MercyMO. Stephanie Vojicic is the president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri