If a deal was not reached, HHC facilities, hospitals, and doctors would have been out of network.
HARTFORD, Connecticut — UnitedHealthcare and Hartford HealthCare (HHC) have reached a contract settlement, according to HHC spokesperson Tina Varona.
The contract was set to expire on Tuesday, which would have caused HHC hospitals, physicians, and facilities to be out of network.
“Hartford HealthCare and UnitedHealthcare have reached an agreement that will ensure that United Healthcare members continue to have uninterrupted access to Hartford HealthCare’s physicians, hospitals and services,” the HHC statement said. “This is good news for our patients and communities, and allows us to continue our mission to improve the health and healing of all.”
On Sunday, HHC noted on their FAQ page that they were looking for a “fair level of payment” to continue providing services for UnitedHealthcare insurance members.
“United is offering our hospitals and physicians rates that simply do not cover our cost increases, including salaries and benefits, medical supplies, drugs and vendor services. United’s offer will negatively impact our ability to retain and recruit clinical staff in our care settings,” HHC wrote.
UnitedHealthcare said on Sunday that their goal in the negotiations is to “reach a long-term contract that is affordable for the people and employers we serve while avoiding any disruption to our members. We are committed to utilizing the remaining time on our contract to engage in continued good-faith negotiation with the goal of renewing our relationship.”
State Healthcare Advocate Kathleen Holt released a statement:
“We are grateful that patients have ongoing access to Hartford HealthCare,” said State Healthcare Advocate Kathleen Holt. “However, we must recognize the distress and harm caused to patients who, for weeks, were left in fear of losing access to their doctors and critical care teams. The anxiety we heard from callers—including cancer survivors, families managing chronic conditions, and newly enrolled consumers—was real and deeply concerning.”
Undisclosed terms of the deal still leave patients wondering how much more it will cost them to receive care from HHC providers over the next several years. Holt emphasized that this lack of transparency and brinkmanship in contract negotiations between providers and payers demonstrates how vulnerable consumers are when caught in the disruptive crossfire of contract disputes. “We need to start a serious conversation in Connecticut about how to minimize the impact of these disputes going forward. The current process leaves consumers with no voice and no control—and that must change. The Office of the Healthcare Advocate will continue to be a vocal and active defender of consumers in our state.”
The terms of the contract settlement are not known at this time.
—
MORE NEWS
—
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.