Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Bristol Hospital announced today they have reached an agreement on the continuation of their network contract.
The terms of the deal were not made public, but it does guarantee that Bristol Hospital will provide Anthem’s members with continued access to care.
Anthem had been negotiating with Bristol Hospital for a new contract for more than a year, as the two sides tried to reach an agreement over reimbsruemtn rates for medical services.
If both sides didn’t reach a middle ground by Nov. 1, Bristol Hospital would have no longer been a participating hospital with Anthem, forcing patients covered by Blue Cross to pay out-of-network costs.
“We believe that both parties maintained an unwavering commitment to a settlement that places the health care needs of the community first,” said Kurt Barwis, president and CEO of Bristol Hospital and Health Care Group. “During almost fifteen months of active negotiations, both parties engaged in good faith to reach an agreement that ensures the greater Bristol community access to the quality services and physicians that they have come to rely on for many years.”
David R. Fusco, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, added that the “long-term arrangement will continue to provide our members with access to quality health care at a market competitive cost.”
Meanwhile, Anthem still remains in contentious negotiations with Hartford Healthcare over a new contract. Both sides have been in talks for months but have been unable to reach an agreement on reimbursements rates.
The contract is significant for Hartford Hospital because 20 percent of its customers, including Medicare patients, are covered by Anthem.
