Columbus Regional Health says Anthem plans to drop some of its outpatient doctors from certain Anthem Medicaid managed care plans on July 1, 2026, a shift that could ripple through several thousand Medicaid patients in Bartholomew County and neighboring communities. CRH officials say affected primary care and specialty clinicians would become out of network for those Anthem plans, although inpatient services at Columbus Regional Hospital would stay covered. Patients who use those Anthem Medicaid options could end up switching plans, changing doctors, or facing higher out of pocket costs.
As reported by The Republic, CRH spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue said, “this decision was made by Anthem for business reasons. It affects several thousand patients in our area.” The outlet also noted that an Anthem spokesperson was not available for comment by press time.
Which CRH Doctors Are Affected
CRH Physicians includes outpatient practices such as Columbus Family Medicine and Columbus Internal Medicine, which the system lists among its outpatient physician practices, according to Columbus Regional Health. The hospital’s in network page also outlines the insurers and plan types it accepts and reminds patients to confirm specific benefits directly with their insurance carrier.
Which Anthem Medicaid Plans Are Involved
Anthem serves as a managed care contractor in Indiana for several state Medicaid programs, including PathWays for Aging, the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), Hoosier Healthwise and Hoosier Care Connect. That means members enrolled in those Anthem plans could be affected if CRH outpatient physicians are removed from Anthem’s Medicaid network, according to federal Medicaid managed care enrollment data.
What Patients Should Do Now
CRH is steering patients to its in network health plans page and advising them to contact their insurer or CRH’s patient financial services team for help. The system lists member service contact numbers on its site. For state level assistance, Indiana Medicaid’s member services line and program enrollment numbers can also help, and the state lists a general member line plus plan specific enrollment broker numbers for HIP, Hoosier Healthwise, Hoosier Care Connect and PathWays for Aging on its website.
Why This Matters Locally
When insurers and provider systems split over contracts, patients often get only a short window to protect continuity of care or to make a plan change. Legal and industry analysis in other markets has shown Anthem pursuing network changes and contract enforcement actions driven by business and reimbursement disputes. Taken together, that history makes it especially important for affected Hoosiers to review their plan status now and confirm whether upcoming appointments will stay in network.
CRH has stressed that the move is limited to certain Anthem Medicaid offerings and that it does not affect inpatient services at Columbus Regional Hospital. This story will be updated if Anthem or Columbus Regional Health release new details or guidance for affected patients.
