SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) -- Northern Light Health plans to end its contract with Anthem, unless the health insurer significantly raises its reimbursement rates for the services they provide.

Samuel Lariviere and his mother are long-time patients of a Northern Light doctor's office in Windham.

"My parents still use it," Lariviere said. "So, it looks like my mom might be out of a doctor's office as well, which is unfortunate, because she's been coming here for a decade-plus."

Northern Light is unhappy with the reimbursement rates Anthem is offering for its medical services.

"It's important to make sure that for the services we're providing, we get paid for them, and we get paid rates that make sense for us," Northern Light Chief Financial Officer James Rohrbaugh said.

An Anthem spokesperson says, "We remain committed to working with Northern Light to reach a new contract. We also remain committed to doing everything we can to keep health care as affordable as possible across Maine."

Northern Light says it's seen inflationary rates go up 7.5 percent, while average annual reimbursements from Anthem are less than 1.5 percent.

"We want to make sure that we're seeing increases, commensurate to the increases we're seeing and taking care of the patients," Rohrbaugh said.

Lariviere believes it's more important to support health care providers, even if it means paying more for health insurance.

"I can see both sides' argument on it, but at the end of the day, I think it's the right thing to do," Lariviere said. "It's going to be terrible to put that on Mainers who are probably already at fixed incomes, and all this stuff for the elderly. Even for myself, it's hard to make it by these days and pay bills."

If nothing changes, all Anthem coverage will end on December 31. Anthem says it plans to leave the lines of communication open, but Northern Light says they will only continue negotiations if Anthem comes forward with a reasonable offer.