12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 3-9, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com For five months, representatives of Salinas Valley Health and insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross negotiated a new contract. And for five months, they failed to reach an agreement. As July 31, the last day of their contract, approached, officials at Salinas Valley Health decided to notify Anthem patients of what would be a sudden change: Effective Aug. 1, they would be out-of-network. “For months, Anthem, which is among the largest and most profitable insurance companies in the country, has refused to pay us fairly for the services we provide, using its size and power to insist that we accept an unfair contract,” Salinas Valley Health CEO Pete Delgado wrote in a letter to patients on July 27. “Stand up to Anthem and urge them to put patients first. Call the number on the back of your insurance card and request they maintain in-network access to Salinas Valley Health.” Some large employers that use Anthem insurance accepted Delgado’s invitation. Monterey County is one such employer, and County Supervisor Luis Alejo wrote a letter on behalf of the Board of Supervisors, urging Anthem to reconsider. But the July 31 deadline came and went. As of Aug. 1, Anthem patients are out-of-network at Salinas Valley Health. While neither side provided the Weekly with specific numbers, they say the crux of the disagreement concerns the rates at which Anthem reimburses SVH for care. (Health providers see patients, and then bill the patient’s insurance and the patient, depending on their health plan.) An Anthem Blue Cross spokesperson says SVH was asking for too much: “The increases being sought by Salinas Valley Health are unsustainable and will lead to significant cost increases and result in higher premiums, deductibles and copays.” Meanwhile, Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange established by the Affordable Care Act, has opened enrollment for next year. The exchange announces Anthem’s premiums are rising by 11 percent on average. Alejo wrote in his letter: “Where are the increased premium dollars going if not to the health systems providing care to those paying the premiums?” Salinas Valley Health has committed to continuing to give Anthem Blue Cross patients in-network pricing for the time being, although they have not indicated how long that offer will last; Delgado says, “It is not a long-term solution.” Carmel’s tab for the seven months its former police chief, Alan Ward, worked is a big one: It cost the city more than an estimated $286,600. That includes the cost of a nationwide search, Ward’s salary for the year he was on the city’s payroll—including five months on paid leave—the city’s pension obligation and the investigation into what it was that Ward did that got him suspended in December 2022 until he retired on June 16. Whatever it was that he said or did before he was put on leave, city officials aren’t saying. City Attorney Brian Pierik denied the Weekly’s Public Records Act request to see a report by a law firm that conducted the investigation, despite the fact that the public, in this case Carmel residents, paid for it. Pierik did not confirm or deny a report existed, only stating that “any investigation report would be exempt” from being made public under two California codes, one covering attorney-client privilege and another concerning the release of information about police officers. Under recent changes in California law, information about allegations against a police officer could be subject to disclosure if the investigation found that allegations against the officer were sustained. Pierik did not respond to a question specifically asking if any allegations were sustained. Ward was hired from the Merced Police Department after a nationwide search by the firm Bob Murray and Associates at a cost of $22,610. He was paid $221,618, and the city’s CalPERS retirement obligation was $32,387. Based on city check register reports, the city paid Sloan, Sakai, Yeung & Wong—a California law firm that includes in its practice employee investigations for government agencies—a little over $10,000 for work completed between December and May. Ward now works for the Naval Support Activity Monterey Police Department, according to a spokesperson for NSAM. He was sworn in as a lieutenant during a ceremony on July 7. Not a Bluff Insurance standoff puts thousands out-of-network at Salinas Valley Health. By Sara Rubin news Updating History The City of Monterey wants to hear input from the community about updating its Path of History to be more inclusive of all people who made history there. There will be a public meeting followed by two guided walks of potential new sites to be added to the pathway in the Pearl District and in an area from the Presidio to New Monterey. Meeting: 6pm Thursday, Aug. 3 at the Japanese American Citizens League Hall, 424 Adams St., Monterey. Pearl District walk: 10am Friday, Aug. 4, starting at the intersection of East Franklin and Washington streets. Presidio/New Monterey walk: 1pm Friday, Aug. 4, starting outside the Heritage Harbor parking garage, 100 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. 646-3799, monterey.org. Preowned Paperbacks Monterey Public Library Friends and Foundation is hosting a booth at the 831 Night Market in Sand City. The booth features a used book sale in addition to kid-friendly activities and giveaways. All proceeds directly benefit the library, and if you want to help out there’s still time to sign up and volunteer. 5pm Friday, Aug. 4. Sand City Art Park, 525 Ortiz Ave., Sand City. Free. 6465602, bit.ly/MPLBookBooth. Realignment Tactics Bike repairs are coming to Greenfield in the form of a bike repair workshop, offering free tuneup and repair services. Bring in your bicycle and be guided through multiple repairs like fixing flat tires, adjusting gears and replacing chains. If you don’t have a bike, you can still stop by. There will be used bikes to fix and take home. You can also bring in a bike to donate, even if it needs repairs. 4-7pm Friday, Aug. 4. Greenfield Community Science Workshop, 45 El Camino Real, Greenfield. Free. 2338335, ci.greenfield.ca.us. Name Game Help the City of Salinas name a new park. The city acquired a 73-acre property at Carr Lake back in 2017 as an initial step toward transforming a portion of it into an open community space. Construction is expected to start as early as November, and now it’s time to name the park. Salinas residents are encouraged to invite friends, neighbors and community members to participate and submit a name suggestion. Name suggestions will be collected until Aug. 31. Free. 625-5523, bit.ly/ CarrLake_Naming. Hard Cash Carmel refuses to release a report detailing its former police chief’s short tenure. By Pam Marino About 11,000 Anthem Blue Cross-insured patients visited Salinas Valley Health’s hospital and clinics last year. Negotiations continue even after the contract ended. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “Stand up to Anthem and urge them to put patients first.” Daniel Dreifuss
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