What’s happening: Statewide and national media coverage of the CHA lawsuit against Anthem Blue Cross includes print articles, news videos, and mentions on local radio stations.
What else to know: CHA filed the lawsuit on April 23 against Anthem Blue Cross, one of California’s largest health insurance companies.
The lawsuit notes the insurance giant consistently leaves thousands of its patients stranded in hospital beds long after they have been medically cleared for discharge, a violation of California law.
Coverage includes:
- In Sacramento, coverage includes an in-depth article from CalMatters, a Sacramento Business Journal article, a video on KOVR-13 television, and audio from KFBK-AM radio.
- Coverage in San Francisco includes a San Francisco Chronicle article and audio from KQED-FM.
- The San Diego Union-Tribune article covers the topic, while live mentions on radio stations KPBS-FM and KOGO-AM provided highlights.
- In Los Angeles, where the lawsuit was filed, coverage includes radio stations KBUU-FM and KFI-AM.
- Nationally, the lawsuit received attention from Bloomberg, Becker’s, Modern Healthcare, and Fierce Healthcare, among others.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to end practices that are harmful to patients, demonstrating that Anthem and other insurance companies that prioritize bottom lines over patients routinely violate state law requiring maintenance of adequate post-acute networks, authorizations of post-acute care in a timely manner, arrangements for timely transfer to post-acute facilities, and more.
CHA’s digital media campaign on insurer accountability launched April 23. The campaign’s centerpiece is a website — www.patientsoverpremiums.org — that urges public signatures on a petition calling for insurance companies to put patients first. Other elements of the campaign include short videos, patient perspectives, and facts about the patient impacts of insurance company denials and delays.
Contact David Simon, senior vice president, communications, at dsimon@calhospital.org with questions or requests for more information.
