Georgia hospitals file lawsuit over Anthem policies on imaging, ER payments
When Anthem started pushing outpatient MR and CT scans not considered medically necessary to freestanding imaging facilities in 2017, it upset both radiologists and imaging societies. A hospital group out of Georgia is now suing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia and Anthem, its parent company, over that very decision and a separate policy related to payments for care provided in the emergency room.
According to a new report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Piedmont Hospital and five other facilities said in its complaint to the court that Anthem is motivated solely by its “desire to reduce its costs, regardless of the policies’ harmful consequences on access to medically necessary services, clinical integration, patient safety, and quality of care.”
Previous Radiology Business coverage of Anthem’s imaging policy can be read here, here and here.
To read the full report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which includes statements from numerous parties involved in the lawsuit, click the link below.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.