Anthem Blue Cross to release data officials hope will help NYC crack down on soaring health care costs, saving $2B yearly

The Big Apple’s largest public-employee insurer has agreed to provide previously redacted healthcare data that could help rein in astronomical prices New York hospitals charge patients, The Post has learned.

Anthem Blue Cross’ sudden change of heart Saturday came a week after The Post reported on the flawedinconsistencies across city hospitals. For example, a colonoscopy may run $940 at one hospital and $12,000 in another. Same for a cesarean-section delivery, which ranged from $7,000 to $58,000.

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The study – which focused on payments made through Anthem, and not private-sector insurance plans– also had gaping holes in it, and it accused Anthem of violating the law by failing to provide the OHA with data needed to provide a complete picture of the price inconsistencies.

Anthem agreed to release previously redacted data following a virtual meeting Friday with Councilwoman Julie Menin (D-Manhattan), who sponsored the legislation creating the first-of-its-kind healthcare watchdog office in 2023.

“We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with Anthem to release this missing healthcare transparency data that will once and for all allow New Yorkers to know what hospitals are charging for all medical procedures and enable [NYC] to potentially save upwards of $2 billion a year by harnessing its purchasing power to drive down costs,” said Menin.

The OHA is now expected to issue a revised report with the new numbers to give the city critical information needed to help negotiate cheaper prices for healthcare, Menin added.

The insurer set up the meeting following the Post’s coverage of the flawed OHA report, which included Menin ripping Anthem’s decision to withhold data as “a slap in the face to the City of New York.”

“We believe in pricing transparency and will continue to work with our partners within city government, organized labor, and our provider community to ensure we are investigating all avenues for continued savings for the employees of New York City and their families,” said Victor DeStefano, president of Anthem’s New York plan.

Anthem — which the city pays a whopping $3 billion yearly to provide insurance to roughly 900,000 employees – had previously claimed releasing some of the pricing data would violate confidentiality agreements that predate both a 2021 federal rule and a 2023 city law requiring hospitals to disclose their prices to the public.

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The insurer, however, denies violating any laws but agrees the additional data will enhance the value of future OHA reports.

The city’s GHI-Comprehensive Benefits Plan through Anthem paid on average $45,150 for inpatient services last fiscal year at New York’s top 10 hospital systems, the OHA report said. 

The highest prices for full in-patient treatment were at New York-Presbyterian ($92,727) and Montefiore Medical Center ($83,573), while Stony Brook University Hospital was the lowest ($36,876).

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The Post two years ago reported on analyses by 32BJ SEIU, the city’s building-services employee union, showing the Big Apple could save taxpayers as much as $2 billion annually by auditing exactly how much municipal workers pay for care at various hospitals and making recommendations on ways to lower the prices.

“All along we’ve said that access to transparent data allows us to be better consumers,” said Henry Garrido, executive director of District Council, the city’s largest municipal employee union.

“We appreciate Anthem doing the right thing and working with us to release the data for city worker healthcare costs.”

Anthem’s decision to turn over the data also came after NYC Comptroller Brad Lander separately sent the insurance provider a scathing letter Wednesday demanding full transparency. Prior to Anthem’s reversal, Lander, through a spokesperson, threatened to probe the insurer.

“The office is prepared to exercise its investigative powers to get to the bottom of this,” Lander’s spokesperson Oluwatona Campbell told The Post Friday.

“New Yorkers deserve hospitals that prioritize care over profits and a healthcare system that’s transparent, equitable, and worthy of their trust.”