Muncie, Ind. – Starting July 25, 2026, Anthem will end its relationship with Meridian Health Services for Medicaid patients, leaving 18,000 adults and children without access to trusted local care, close to home. While Anthem will still cover private and commercially insured Meridian patients, Anthem is choosing to end access for Medicaid members. This was not Meridian’s choice, and it believes Anthem’s abrupt and unjustified decision is creating unnecessary healthcare barriers for Indiana families.
As a nonprofit health system with 87 locations across Indiana, Meridian Health Services has been serving Hoosier communities for more than 50 years. Many of the patients affected by Anthem’s decision live in rural and underserved communities where Meridian is often the only provider available.
“Meridian Health Services is disappointed by Anthem’s decision to terminate its Medicaid contract,” said Seth Warren, Meridian Health Services CEO. “Right now, our priority is helping patients understand their options, so they may continue accessing the care they need from the Meridian clinicians they know and trust.”
Meridian is committed to working with Anthem in hopes of finding a better path forward for the patients and communities it serves, but to date Anthem has been unwilling to reconsider its decision.
When people lose access to healthcare, the impact is felt across families, neighborhoods, and entire communities. It can mean a mother delaying a cancer screening, a child missing critical treatment, or a senior forced to choose between life-saving medication and groceries. Behind every loss of coverage is a family facing fear and uncertainty, and a community that grows weaker when its neighbors are unable to access the care they need to stay healthy and support their families.
If Anthem continues forward with its decision to terminate coverage, the consequences for our community will be felt almost immediately. Without timely access to care, more patients may experience health crises, increasing the need for emergency services and placing greater pressure on already strained hospitals and community resources.
Meridian is especially concerned about the impact this will have on patients in rural and underserved areas, its school-based health clinics supporting students with complex medical needs, and patients receiving ongoing behavioral health treatment and medications.
“Disruptions in care for these patients will likely increase pressure on local hospitals, emergency rooms, and law enforcement. As Anthem continues to promote the importance of critical services like behavioral health across its platforms, its actions to remove care across our communities say otherwise,” said Warren.
At this time, nothing changes for Anthem Medicaid patients before July 25, 2026. Patients should continue seeing their Meridian providers and attending scheduled appointments as usual until that date. Patients and families can learn more about this termination of medical coverage by Anthem and access to ongoing care services by visiting www.MeridianHS.org/Anthem. Meridian is also encouraging the community to visit the link above to contact their local and state legislators to make their voice heard and urge Governor Braun to step in and protect healthcare for vulnerable Hoosier communities.
