By Dr. Joseph Morman

Over the last three decades, I have had the honor of serving as a family medicine physician in

Springfield, caring for hundreds of area residents from every walk of life. It has been my honor

to get to know my patients, celebrating their milestones and helping them in their times of

need. That is why I am personally disappointed by the steps recently taken by Anthem to limit

access to care for Mercy Health patients in our community.

More than 3,500 Springfield-area residents with Anthem Managed Medicaid insurance have

been forced by Anthem to potentially leave providers they know and trust at Mercy Health. If

an agreement is not reached, Mercy Health may also be out of network for nearly 2,000

Anthem Medicare Advantage patients in Springfield. This is especially upsetting because the

relationship developed between a doctor and patient takes time, trust, and understanding. It is

a relationship that should be respected, not dictated by an insurance company.

In my experience, patients often deal with multiple illnesses creating unique challenges that

give them an even greater need to have close-to-home care. They should not have to worry

about making alternative arrangements or finding new doctors that are in-network when the

care they need and providers they know are right here at Mercy Health in Springfield.

As a provider of care in this community, I want to share some information that will help you

navigate next steps to help ensure you can continue to see your Mercy Health providers well

into the future.

For those with Anthem Managed Medicaid insurance, I would invite you to call the Ohio Office

of Medicaid at 800-324-8680 to initiate a Just Cause transfer to an alternative Managed

Medicaid plan. This will help you retain long-term access to Mercy Health facilities and

providers. Mercy Health is contracted with all Managed Medicaid plans in Ohio, with the

exception now of Anthem, and we will continue to serve our patients under their new health

plans.

If you have Anthem Medicare Advantage insurance, please know that open enrollment begins

on October 15. Please talk to your broker or call the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

(CMS) at 1-800-633-4227 to explore your options. Your broker can help you choose a plan that

keeps your Mercy Health providers in-network. Mercy Health remains in-network with all other

major Medicare Advantage health plans in Ohio.

You can also call Anthem at the number on the back of your insurance card to let them know

how important it is to maintain the relationship with your Mercy Health doctor.

It’s important to know that regardless of coverage, Mercy Health will continue to see all

patients for emergency treatment in our hospitals — regardless of their insurance coverage.

Access to care when you need it and care close to home are both very important. In fact, a

recent American Hospital Association poll showed that 43% of respondents feel that their health

has gotten worse because of limited access to care. As the Chief Clinical Officer for Mercy Health

– Springfield Regional Medical Center, I am committed to working every day to improving the

health and well-being of our community. Neither I nor Mercy Health – Springfield will waiver

from this commitment. We value our relationship with you and will continue providing care for

our Springfield community well into the future.

Please consider joining me and call on Anthem to do the right thing and bring Mercy Health

providers back in-network to ensure compassionate, high-quality care is available for every

patient, every day.

Mercy Health will continue to provide updates at www.mercy.com/elevancehealth. Thanks for

partnering with us in this matter.

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Dr. Joseph Morman, Chief Clinical Officer at Mercy Health – Springfield

Dr. Morman took over the role of chief clinical officer in 2022 after practicing family

medicine at Mercy Health – Family Physicians of Springfield since 1997. He also served as a

physician consultant in quality from 2017 through 2019. Morman grew up in Marion, Ohio

and holds a bachelor’s from the University of Dayton as well as a medical degree from the

University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine.