Deadline nears for Anthem, Parkview current contract

The current contract between Anthem and Parkview Health System -- a network of more than 80 community hospitals and clinics in northern Indiana and northwest Ohio that serves many Purdue employees -- expires at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday (July 28). Purdue employees who visited a Parkview clinic or hospital in the last 12 months were notified that Parkview Health Systems would no longer be an in-network option for care effective Wednesday (July 29). However, negotiations continue, and if an agreement is reached before the current contract’s expiration, employees will be notified immediately.

“We have been hopeful from the beginning that an agreement to provide our members with high-quality, transparent, cost-effective care can be reached, and that hope remains in the final days of negotiations,” says Candace Shaffer, senior director of benefits in Human Resources. "Parkview’s ability to meet that caliber of care is what originally spurred the negotiations and has remained constant throughout. Anthem has been persistent in the negotiating process with the full support of the University. If Parkview is unable to meet those standards, then we will move forward without them and continue to provide resources and options that champion a smarter approach to health care.”

As a reminder, if the outcome results in Anthem and Parkview parting ways, members who are currently under the care of a Parkview provider have the ability to request a continuation of care through Anthem. Interested individuals should complete this form and submit it to Anthem per instructions on the form. However, form submission does not guarantee continued in-network benefits under Anthem or Purdue.

Members needing to seek other health care options can search for providers through Anthem’s Cost and Care Finder. For more information, visit Purdue’s “Find high quality and affordable doctors” webpage.

The negotiations were spurred by a 2017 RAND study, which analyzed insurance claims data from mid-2013 to mid-2016 and showed unprecedented cost disparity for hospital care in Indiana with particularly high costs from Parkview. Additionally, the Employers’ Forum of Indiana has made available a National Hospital Transparency Report Supplement (May 2019), which provides detailed data from the transparency initiative. Per the supplement, Parkview Health is the second highest in the state in regard to hospital system relative price rank. The supplement is available for download from the Employers’ Forum of Indiana’s website.

Questions can be directed to Human Resources at 765-494-2222, toll-free at 877-725-0222 or via email at hr@purdue.edu.