Continuity of Care
In the event our commercial contracts expire before we reach an agreement with Anthem, MU Health Care providers and facilities will be out of Anthem’s commercial networks (with the exception of the MU Student Advantage plan), starting on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
If you receive your Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield and HealthLink (Anthem) insurance through your employer or through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, and are being treated for certain health conditions, Anthem may be legally required to continue to cover your treatment for that condition at MU Health Care through Continuity of Care benefits.
Examples of conditions covered by Continuity of Care may include:
- Pregnancy
- Serious or complex conditions like cancer and currently undergoing a course of treatment
- Relapsed cancer and currently receiving chemotherapy, radiation therapy or reconstruction
- Transplant candidates or recipients in need of ongoing care due to complications
- Recent or scheduled non-elective surgeries in the acute phase, including post-operative care
- Serious acute or chronic conditions in active treatment (e.g. heart attacks or strokes)
- Acute conditions that are serious enough to require specialized medical treatment to avoid the reasonable possibility of death or permanent harm
- Chronic conditions that are life-threatening, degenerative, potentially disabling or congenital and require specialized medical care over a prolonged period of time
- Terminal illness requiring care
We encourage you to call Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield or HealthLink at the number on the back of your insurance ID card, informing them your provider is going out of network, and you would like a Continuity of Care application form. While your insurance company makes the determination, you can call our Continuity of Care Hub at 573-771-CARE if you have questions or need assistance with the Continuity of Care application.
If you received a letter from Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield or HealthLink stating you have been approved for continuity of care, that does not serve as official approval if it does not include the condition(s) for which you have been approved. You need to submit a Continuity of Care application. Following that, Anthem will send a formal approval stating what condition(s) has been approved. The form with the specific condition can then be submitted to MU Health Care to ensure Anthem will cover your continuing care.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield does not require members enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program to complete a continuity of care form. They are “generally” entitled to 90 days of in-network coverage, or "continuity of care," if their provider leaves their health plan's network, especially for certain medical conditions. Please call Member Services at the number on the back of your insurance ID card to verify and confirm that Anthem will continue to authorize health care services with MU Health Care.