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For years, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been synonymous with maximum choice of doctors and hospitals.
But not any more - at least not for those buying coverage through the Ohamacare exchange.
When the exchange starts next month, most of Indianapolis' major hospitals and physician practices will not be available through Anthem's exchange plan, but instead will be working with a health plan run by Indianapolis-based MDwise Inc.
Anthem's new "narrow network" strategy is designed to direct more patients to hospitals in exchange for lower payments. But many doctors and hospitals said no to Anthem's skimpier payment plan.
Anthem has struck agreements with Community Health Network to serve patients in Indianapolis, Anderson and Kokomo who choose its plan in the Obamacare exchange. In the counties around Indianapolis, Anthem also has contracted with hospitals in Danville, Franklin, Greenfield, Lebanon, New Castle and Noblesville.
But the state's three largest hospital systems - Indiana University Health, St. Vincent Health and Franciscan St. Francis Health - have opted to work with MDwise.
Wishard Health Services, the county-owned hospital in Indianapolis, is only in the MDwise network right now.
Insurers build networks of doctors and hospitals in order to lock in discounts off the health care providers' retail prices. Anthem, by far the largest health insurer in Indiana, negotiates the largest discounts with providers.
MDwise, co-owned by IU Health and Wishard, already handles Medicaid benefits, on contract with the state government, for about 300,000 Hoosiers.
MDwise is expanding into the Obamacare exchanges because it expects many of its Medicaid customers to switch back and forth between the two programs, and it wants to allow them to keep the same...