Sentara Moves to End Anthem Contracts in Virginia

Sentara Health, a nonprofit health system that operates hospitals and physician practices across Virginia, is moving to terminate its contracts with Anthem, according to Healthcare Dive, which reported the story on August 5, 2026. Anthem is a Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated health insurer owned by Elevance Health that sells commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid managed care plans in Virginia. Healthcare Dive reports that nearly 380,000 patients could go out of network with Sentara if the commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid contracts lapse.

The dispute has not yet been confirmed as resolved or unresolved as of publication, and the source report does not specify a termination date, the reasons behind the disagreement, or either organization's public statement on next steps. What is confirmed is the scale: hundreds of thousands of patients across three coverage categories, commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid, are at risk of losing in-network access to Sentara facilities and providers if a new agreement is not reached.

Why This Matters for Medicare Enrollees

Contract disputes between large health systems and insurers happen periodically, but the Medicare implications deserve close attention because the effect on your coverage depends heavily on which type of Medicare plan you have. Medicare Advantage is a private insurance alternative to Original Medicare, administered by companies like Anthem under contract with the federal government, and these plans typically restrict or financially penalize care received outside a defined provider network. If you are enrolled in an Anthem Medicare Advantage plan in Virginia and you use Sentara hospitals, doctors, or specialists, a lapsed contract could mean higher out-of-pocket costs or, in HMO-style plans, no coverage at all for non-emergency care at Sentara facilities.

By contrast, people enrolled in Original Medicare, even if they also carry an Anthem Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy, are generally less exposed to this specific dispute. Original Medicare pays providers directly based on federal reimbursement rules rather than through insurer network agreements, so a Sentara-Anthem contract lapse would not by itself change whether Sentara accepts a beneficiary who has Original Medicare. Medigap policies supplement Original Medicare's cost-sharing and typically are not tied to a specific provider network in the same way Medicare Advantage plans are.

Key Takeaway

If you have an Anthem Medicare Advantage plan in Virginia and rely on Sentara hospitals or physicians, watch for official notices from Anthem or Sentara about network status. If the contracts lapse, ask your plan directly whether Sentara will remain in-network, be treated as an approved exception, or be dropped, before you need care.

What Medicare Advantage Enrollees Should Do Now

Because the source reporting does not confirm whether the contracts have already lapsed or remain under negotiation, the most useful step for readers right now is preparation rather than immediate action. Consider the following:

Confirm your plan type. Check whether your coverage is Medicare Advantage (Part C) through Anthem or Original Medicare with or without a Medigap policy, since the exposure differs significantly between the two.
Call your plan or provider before your next appointment. If you have an Anthem Medicare Advantage plan and see Sentara providers regularly, ask Anthem member services directly whether Sentara is currently in-network and whether that status has a scheduled end date.
Watch for a Special Enrollment Period notice. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that regulates Medicare, sometimes permits a Special Enrollment Period when a significant provider network change affects a Medicare Advantage plan's service area. If Anthem issues such a notice, it would allow affected enrollees to switch plans outside the standard enrollment windows.
Mark your calendar for the Annual Enrollment Period. Even without a Special Enrollment Period, Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, giving Virginia beneficiaries a scheduled opportunity to switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for 2027 coverage if network access remains an unresolved concern.

Contract disputes between systems and insurers are sometimes resolved before any actual disruption to patients occurs, so an announcement of a possible termination is not the same as a confirmed network change. Still, given the reported scale of this dispute, nearly 380,000 patients across commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid coverage, Virginia Medicare Advantage enrollees who use Sentara should treat this as a reason to review their coverage options rather than wait for a disruption to occur. A licensed Medicare agent can help you compare Medicare Advantage plans that include your preferred hospital system in-network, or evaluate whether Original Medicare paired with a Medigap policy offers more provider flexibility given ongoing network uncertainty. For the latest developments on this specific dispute, readers can follow Healthcare Dive's original report at healthcaredive.com.