El Camino Hospital and Anthem Blue Cross Successfully Reach Agreement on Terms of Contract

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- El Camino Hospital and Anthem Blue Cross today announced that they have successfully reached resolution regarding the terms of their contracting hospital agreement. The two organizations came to an agreement on  fair and equitable reimbursement rates for the care El Camino Hospital provides to patients covered under the Anthem Blue Cross plan.  As a result of these discussions, Anthem Blue Cross patients will be able to continue to choose El Camino Hospital for their medical care.

"The agreement we have reached with Anthem Blue Cross ensures that patients will continue to have the choice of receiving care at El Camino Hospital and that we will be reimbursed for that care at a fair rate," said Kenneth D. Graham, president and chief executive officer of El Camino Hospital.  "We are glad that we have reached a positive resolution with Anthem Blue Cross --  one that benefits our physicians and patients by emphasizing high-quality care."

"We are pleased that by working with El Camino Hospital we have reached agreement on a contract that will continue to fairly reimburse the hospital for the fine medical services they provide each day, while allowing Anthem to help control the escalating costs of health care for our members," said Aldo De La Torre, vice president of provider contracting for Anthem Blue Cross.

About El Camino Hospital

El Camino Hospital is an acute-care, 542-bed, not-for-profit and locally governed organization with campuses in Mountain View and Los Gatos, Calif. In addition to a state-of-the-art emergency department, key medical specialty focuses include cancer care, heart and vascular, neuroscience, genomic medicine, orthopedic and spine and women's health. The hospital is recognized as a national leader in the use of health information technology and wireless communications, and has been awarded the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Center as well as back-to-back ANCC Magnet Recognitions for Nursing Care. To learn more, visit our Web site at www.elcaminohospital.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elcaminohospital, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/elcaminohosp. For videos on El Camino Hospital, see www.youtube.com/elcaminohospital. For a physician referral, visit our Web site or call the El Camino Health Line at 800-216-5556.

About Anthem Blue Cross:

Anthem Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California.  Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc.  The Blue Cross name and symbol are registered marks of the Blue Cross Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company is available at www.anthem.com/ca.

SOURCE El Camino Hospital; Anthem Blue Cross