Anthem Blue Cross Negotiations with Optum, a UnitedHealth Group company
Here's What You Need to Know
We’re working to improve access to affordable healthcare in California. Our current HMO contract with Optum physicians and specialists expires on December 31, 2025, and we are working to keep them in our HMO network beyond that date.
What's Happening?
Anthem Blue Cross and Optum, a UnitedHealth Group company, are actively engaged in mutual contract negotiations, as the current HMO agreement is set to expire on January 1, 2026.
Anthem and Optum have a long history of partnership, and we recognize that having in-network access to their doctors and specialists is important to our members and customers. That’s why we continue to work toward an agreement that will keep Optum in our network. However, if we can’t, Optum’s doctors and specialists will become out-of-network for all Anthem members on January 1, 2026.
Our goal is to maintain and improve healthcare affordability for the members, employers, and taxpayers that pay for healthcare.