Residents in Daviess County with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance will no longer face out-of-network ambulance charges from American Medical Response after the companies finalized a new in-network agreement effective April 1, 2026.
Daviess County Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen said the agreement resolves a longstanding issue that has affected local residents for years.
“We were working on this when I became judge-executive,” Castlen said. “I asked (Owensboro Health President and CEO) Mark Marsh to work with some of his contacts at Anthem to see if they could help make it happen.”
According to Castlen, AMR had historically been out of network with Anthem in Kentucky, creating financial burdens for residents transported by ambulance.
“If you had Anthem through your employer, and something happened where you needed to be transported — whether you fell, had a heart attack, or anything else — your insurance often would not cover the ambulance bill because AMR was out of network,” Castlen said.
He said patients frequently received large bills after ambulance transports because Anthem would not fully cover the charges.
“I know personally I’ve gotten calls about it,” Castlen said. “There have been stories written over the years about people being furious when they received these bills and found out the service was out of network.”
In a letter sent to Castlen, AMR Regional Director Paul Phillips confirmed the agreement officially took effect April 1.
“We are pleased to inform you that, effective April 1, 2026, our organization has entered into an in-network agreement with Anthem/Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky,” Phillips wrote.
Phillips also wrote: “We understand that the absence of this agreement has created challenges for Daviess County, and we sincerely appreciate your patience throughout this process. Reaching this milestone reflects our ongoing commitment to improving access to care and reducing barriers for the communities we serve together.”
Castlen said discussions to reach an agreement dated back years, even before he took office.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Castlen said. “This issue goes back before I was judge-executive.”
He said the change should benefit a large number of local residents because Anthem remains one of the dominant insurance providers in the region.
Castlen said he was informed the agreement became official only recently after final signed documents were returned between the parties.
“All I can say is this is really good news,” Castlen said. “This will help a lot of folks in our community, and I’m very pleased.”
