Anthem, Stamford Health agree on new multiyear contract

Arielle Levin Becker / CT Mirror Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's Wallingford office.

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Patients covered by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut will remain in-network after the health insurer on Thursday announced a new multiyear agreement with Stamford Health, the nonprofit health system that owns Stamford Hospital.

Terms of the new agreement were not disclosed.

The new network participation contract maintains uninterrupted access to care at Stamford Hospital and all other Stamford Health facilities and physician practices in lower Fairfield County for Anthem members, the organizations said.

The new agreement replaces a previous three-year deal that expired at midnight on Dec. 30. Under a state-mandated cooling-off period, Anthem members retained their in-network coverage through a 60-day extension that was scheduled to expire on March 1.

Stamford Health officials previously said they had been negotiating with Anthem on a new contract for nearly a year. A not-for-profit organization, Stamford Health had said it was seeking a new contract that would reimburse it “at a fair market rate” for the services it provides.

On its website, Anthem had said Stamford Health's previous contract had provided prices that were “30% higher” than those for other health systems.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield President Lou Gianquinto said Thursday his organization looks forward to continuing its “long-term partnership with Stamford Health.

Kathleen Silard, president and CEO of Stamford Health, said that, with the new agreement, “Anthem is helping to support our mission to provide a broad range of high-quality health and wellness services focused on the needs of our communities.”