Two months after its previous contract expired and one day before the end of a required grace period, UConn Health and ConnectiCare said Friday they had reached a new multiyear agreement.
The deal, announced Friday afternoon, means patients insured by Farmington-based ConnectiCare, which is now owned by California-based Molina Healthcare Inc., will remain in network.
Terms of the new agreement weren’t released, and neither organization said how many patients could have been affected if an agreement was not reached.
The previous contract between the Farmington-based health system and health insurer expired at midnight on April 15.
Because of a state-mandated grace period, patients covered by ConnectiCare were able to continue to see their UConn Health physicians and receive services at UConn John Dempsey Hospital.
The grace period was set to expire at midnight on June 15, if a new contract had not been reached.
In a terse news release about the new agreement, ConnectiCare said only that it will keep UConn hospitals and doctors in its network.
The agreement with UConn Health includes John Dempsey Hospital, UConn Medical Group and their associated doctors.
“Members and providers should disregard the termination notice from ConnectiCare sent earlier this year,” the news release states, adding, “There will be no lapse in participation.”
UConn Health said it is “thankful to ConnectiCare for working with us to put patients first while ensuring we are on a path to being paid fairly for the excellent care we provide.”
The health system said the negotiations were part of a “broader effort to secure fair reimbursement from all health plans.”
“Most importantly, this agreement guarantees our patients uninterrupted access to the care they need and deserve,” said Dr. Andy Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health.
The dispute between UConn Health and ConnectiCare was the latest in an increasing number of disputes between healthcare providers and payers.
