More than three months after their previous three-year contract expired, UConn Health and Aetna Inc. have reached a new agreement.
“We are pleased to have reached a multiyear agreement with UConn Health that restores in-network access for our Commercial and Medicare Advantage members as of March 1, 2026,” an Aetna spokesperson said via email Wednesday.
Details of the agreement were not disclosed.
“This new agreement ensures continued access to high-quality, convenient care while helping control health care costs for Connecticut families, local employers, and retirees,” the Aetna spokesperson said.
Aetna members can confirm their individual plan benefits and network by visiting the Aetna website or calling the phone number on their member ID card, the spokesperson added.
In a news release, John Driscoll, chair of the UConn Health board of directors, said the system is pleased to have reached a new agreement that ensures “our patients the access they need and our UConn providers the reimbursement they deserve.”
The previous deal expired amid contentious negotiations between the health system and the Hartford-based insurer, which is owned by Rhode Island-based CVS Health.
Despite months of talks, the three-year contract expired at midnight Nov. 30, removing UConn Health from Aetna’s network for thousands of members.
After the previous contract expired, some commercial members were eligible for a two-month “cooling-off period,” which allowed UConn Health hospitals to remain at the in-network benefit level until Feb. 1.
During the negotiations, UConn Health had stated that it receives “some of the lowest commercial reimbursement rates of any hospital in Connecticut,” a key sticking point.
Aetna countered by stating that UConn Health continued to demand “significantly higher reimbursement rates,” and that its proposal would “substantially increase” health care costs for members.
While details of the reimbursement rates were not released, Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, chief executive officer of UConn Health, said the agreement “supports fair reimbursement for the high quality of care and service we provide.” He added that UConn Health is “delighted that our Aetna patients will continue to have access to that care.”
Note: This article has been updated with comment from UConn Health.
