Anthem not bidding on Charter Oak or HUSKY

Last week, Anthem sent a letter notifying DSS that they will not be submitting a bid for the joint HUSKY/Charter Oak Plan RFP. Initial responses are due to the state on Friday. Anthem’s concerns include inadequate funding for full-risk HUSKY and Charter Oak; advocates and other state officials have also been concerned about the programs’ financial sustainability. As of March 1st, about half (159,158) of HUSKY members were enrolled with Anthem, almost twice as many as the next largest plan. With the largest provider panel, it is hard to imagine how either HUSKY or Charter Oak could function without Anthem’s participation. However, Anthem is not walking away from HUSKY families – they are happy to continue indefinitely with the current non-risk arrangement and would consider participating in Charter Oak in a similar arrangement. They are also interested in bidding on the programs in the future if current legislative proposals restructuring the programs pass. Proposals making their way through the legislative process include HB-5618 to delay HUSKY procurement and separate it from Charter Oak, and HB-5617 which makes several improvements to Charter Oak’s design.
Ellen Andrews