For weeks, more than half a million Anthem Blue Cross enrollees who receive healthcare from the University of California were held in suspense. It wasn't clear whether they would have to find new doctors or switch plans as the health system and one of its largest insurance partners struggled to reach agreement on a new contract.

UC Health accused Anthem of not negotiating in good faith, while Anthem leaders retorted that UC Health had demanded too much and rebuffed the insurer's request for administrative efficiencies. In fact, roughly 8 million Anthem members in California were at risk of losing in-network access to UC Health's vast network of prestigious hospitals and medical facilities, which could have left them with much higher out-of-pocket expenses unless they switched providers. Not all patients were made aware of the situation, but Anthem notified some enrollees they would be reassigned to new doctors if no deal were reached.