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SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah Health and Regence BlueCross BlueShield have reached an agreement allowing patients with Regence health insurance to continue receiving in-network care from U. Health, according to a statement released Monday.
"The agreement will ensure there is no disruption for Regence members who receive care from University of Utah Health," a joint statement from the two companies said.
In late May, the companies told patients they were struggling to reach an agreement, and that if they did not by the end of June, Regence members without special circumstances, like those seeing specialists for some chronic conditions, would need to pay out-of-network costs in order to continue getting care from U. Health.
Monday's statement said the two companies are responsible for ensuring that rates compensate providers fairly, while balancing the need to provide access to affordable, quality health care.
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement that strikes that balance," the companies said.
The contract, which was reached after a substantial period of negotiations, will last multiple years.
"We appreciate the patience of those affected as we worked together to reach (an) agreement that provides Regence members with continued access to high-quality, affordable health care through University of Utah Health," the statement said.
About 50,000 employees of the University of Utah and about 70,000 to 80,000 people who are not employees would have been affected if no contract was reached, according to U. Health. However, U. Health said in May it was taking steps to allow U. Health providers to continue caring for their employees.
University of Utah Health and Regence said in the statement they look forward to continuing partnerships on programs for students, scholarships and fellowships, according to the statement.
