With Anthem Blue Cross exiting from the Santa Barbara County Covered California market, Sansum Clinic is negotiating with Blue Shield and hoping to get health insurance exchange plans that are in-network for its providers.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield have been the only insurance companies offering Covered California plans in Santa Barbara County, and Anthem recently announced it was leaving the region, and many more throughout the state, in 2018.

Anthem is the only Covered California plan that is in-network for Sansum providers, and has been since the exchange started in 2014.

This major change means Sansum is negotiating with Blue Shield so its patients can have continuation of care with their providers at the many primary-, specialty- and urgent-care clinics throughout southern Santa Barbara County.

“We are doing everything we can to get a contract and are optimistic, but the negotiations are complicated and will likely take some time,” spokeswoman Jill Fonte told Noozhawk.

Open enrollment for Covered California starts Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31, but residents can apply for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, through CenCal Health anytime.

In 2018, Santa Barbara County residents who want to purchase health insurance through the Covered California exchange will only have one insurer, Blue Shield, offering plans.

— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) . Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.