Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield said it is reviewing its options after a panel of Kentucky appellate court judges upheld the state's 2020 managed care contract awards, the Louisville Courier Journal reported Sept. 15.
Anthem had sued after it was not among the five companies chosen for contracts with the state, according to the report. Contracts were awarded to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Humana Health Plan, Wellcare Health Insurance of Kentucky, UnitedHealthcare and Molina Healthcare. Anthem was added as a sixth contractor while the legal dispute was pending.
The appellate court's ruling overturns a lower court's decision last year that found flaws in the contract selection process and ordered the contracts be thrown out and rebid, according to the report.
Anthem alleged there were errors in the way the state evaluated and scored proposals, according to the report. The appellate court determined that the flaws were not sufficient grounds to throw out the contracts and start a new round of bidding.
Parties involved in the legal dispute that included several claims and counterclaims have 30 days from the court's Sept. 9 decision to file an appeal, according to the report.