"Mainers' Health Care Hangs in the Balance as Insurance Battle Nears Deadline"

Thousands of Mainers face potential loss of healthcare access as the contract between Catholic health care system Covenant Health and insurer Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield expires. If the dispute is not resolved, about 14,000 patients may have to find new providers or switch insurance companies, leading to increased costs and potential disruptions in care. Anthem has encouraged its members to schedule appointments with alternative providers, while Covenant Health claims it has asked for modest rate increases to account for rising costs. Emergency care will not be affected.