California Hospital Association Sues Anthem Blue Cross For Delayed Discharges

On April 23, 2024, the California Hospital Association (CHA) sued Anthem Blue Cross of California alleging that Anthem violates state law by failing to timely arrange for post-acute care placements for its members who are ready for discharge. While waiting for Anthem to approve a post-acute care placement, the hospitals are unable to discharge the Anthem member, but during this period, Anthem has refused to cover the hospital costs of caring for the member.

Anthem is a wholly owned affiliate of Elevance Health. With about 6 million members in the state, it is one of the state’s . . .