Saint Luke’s Health System has announced it will no longer accept Ambetter Insurance beginning in 2019. Saint Luke’s Health System includes Wright Memorial Hospital of Trenton and Hedrick Medical Center of Chillicothe.
Ambetter was the only option for health insurance in the area for 2018 on the Health Insurance Marketplace for residents who did not have health insurance coverage through their employment.
Wright Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Steve Schieber explained in a prepared written statement that the decision of no longer accepting Ambetter “was not taken lightly”, and Saint Luke’s “understands and regrets” the impact it will have on patients.
Schieber said Saint Luke’s understands the role of providers in “enabling health care access for…Americans—including those in Trenton and the surrounding communities” and that the health system is “committed to partnering with insurance providers that offer affordable, reliable health insurance and a satisfactory level of service to their members”.
Schieber encourages residents to contact the Missouri Insurance Commissioner’s Office or other state legislators to advocate for more health insurance plan options.
The Ambetter website shows area hospitals that will accept Ambetter health insurance in 2019 include Sullivan County Memorial of Milan, Pershing Memorial of Brookfield, Cameron Regional Medical Center, Carroll County Memorial of Carrollton, Wayne County Hospital of Corydon, Iowa, Ray County Memorial of Richmond, Lafayette Regional Health Center of Lexington, and Mosaic Life Care of Saint Joseph.
Health insurance open enrollment for 2019 opens Thursday, November 1st and ends December 15th.
