The state insurance department has postponed a hearing this week to consider a challenge to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's network of providers covered under the Affordable Care Act.
Margaret McCarthy, a patient of Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, has asked the department to require Anthem to include Frisbie in the network.
Anthem, the only company in the state offering coverage under the ACA, has defended its decision to exclude Frisbie and nine other New Hampshire hospitals, saying a so-called narrow network reduced the cost for policies offered on the federal marketplace by 25 percent.
Wednesday's scheduled hearing was postponed in response to a motion filed by Anthem, which argues that McCarthy’s request for a hearing was "untimely."
Sevigny is expected to issue a decision in response to Anthem's motion by April 15, the department said. If he rules in McCarthy's favor, a the hearing will be rescheduled for 10 a.m. April 22.