Central Maine Medical Center, Bridgton, and Rumford Hospitals are the latest to become Tier 1 providers in certain Anthem insurance plans.
In a joint statement Monday, Central Maine Healthcare and Anthem said the agreement, which takes effect June 1, offers a lower-cost option for consumers.
Kate Ende of Consumers for Affordable Health Care says some people can see lower out of pocket costs with tiered plans, as long as all of their providers are in Tier 1. She says it's important to do research before choosing this kind of plan, because her organization gets calls from consumers who are surprised by high bills after they see a provider who's considered Tier 2.
"Always check the provider directory," she says. "And when you're checking the directory, you can't just check if they're in and out of network. You need to check what tier they are."
Ende says it's unclear what effect these plans have on overall healthcare costs. MaineHealth and Northern Light Health are also Tier 1 providers for Anthem.
