Stanford and Montage retained HMO participation in their Anthem agreements, while Mount Sinai’s settlement also left specific insurance products outside its network.

Scripps Health announced October 1 that it had reached a multiyear agreement with Anthem Blue Cross preserving in-network access for PPO and EPO members, subject to their benefit-plan terms. The settlement excludes Anthem HMO plans, leaving affected patients with newly assigned physicians outside Scripps.

Anthem says it reassigned affected HMO members previously attached to Scripps physicians to other in-network primary care physicians effective October 1. Scripps identifies affected members as those who previously listed Scripps Clinic or Scripps Coastal Medical Center on their insurance cards. The announcements do not establish whether those patients have completed clinical handoffs.

For physicians and medical groups, that distinction separates an administrative reassignment from transferring records, coordinating referrals, and maintaining ongoing treatment.

In an August 25, 2025, update, Stanford Medicine announced a multiyear Anthem agreement effective September 1, with participation through August 2028. Stanford explicitly includes HMO, EPO and PPO coverage, along with Medicare Advantage and Medi-Cal plans, across its participating hospitals and physician organizations.

Montage Health reached its agreement January 26, 2026, before its end-of-month contract deadline. Becker’s reported that the settlement retained HMO, EPO, and PPO access. Montage’s announcement confirmed continued in-network access at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and all Montage services without interruption.

Both California agreements retained HMO participation, unlike Scripps’ settlement. That comparison establishes broader participation across the specified products; it does not establish better reimbursement terms.

Mount Sinai’s April 13, 2026, three-year agreement with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New York restored network participation for included plans after an interruption.

However, it did not restore participation in Anthem Medicare Advantage or Individual Marketplace Gatekeeper plans, which had been outside the system’s agreement since January 1. Mount Sinai Health Partners subsequently confirmed those exclusions remained in place.

The excluded products differ, but both settlements demonstrate why physicians must examine participation by insurance product.

Scripps says its agreement reflects commitments to reducing avoidable administrative burdens and supporting full, timely payments. The announcements reviewed do not disclose reimbursement increases, an exact contract expiration date, detailed contractual concessions, or the reason for excluding the HMO.

Physician networks should verify patients’ specific coverage and identify those who may need transition assistance. Scripps’ settlement preserves PPO/EPO access while leaving the scale and clinical consequences of the HMO reassignment unresolved.