Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is attempting to oust Northside Hospital facilities from its network through the filing of a legal motion to end a temporary restraining order that has kept the hospital in-network up to this point.
According to the healthcare reporting website Georgia Health News, the battle between the two entities has raged on for several months, as both sides have disagreed on reimbursement rates for medical services.
Northside Hospital was originally granted an injunction by Fulton County Superior Court right before its contract with Anthem was scheduled to be severed on Jan. 1. The injunction keeps Anthem in-network with Northside until Jan. 31, but this could change due to Anthem’s legal motion.
The move would affect thousands of Northside patients in northeast Georgia. The healthcare system has hospitals in Cumming, Lawrenceville and Duluth, alongside several others in the metro Atlanta area.
Georgia Health News reports Anthem is asking the court to end the injunction and start an arbitration process to resolve the conflict.
Northside claims Anthem’s request proves that the insurer is attempting to remove patients from the Northside network earlier than the end of the injunction on Jan. 31. The healthcare system has cited House Bill 454 in its court filings to delay the end of the contract. The bill states that insurers cannot and a contract with a medical provider during a public health emergency.
Anthem released a statement Tuesday stating that its members can seek emergency care at any hospital.
