Cigna, Hartford HealthCare reach new agreement

HBJ FILE PHOTO Hartford Hospital, Hartford HealthCare’s flagship hospital.

Write a Comment

Just hours before their existing agreement was set to expire, Cigna Healthcare and Hartford HealthCare have reached an agreement on a new contract.

A spokesperson for Hartford HealthCare confirmed the deal in an email Thursday afternoon.

“Hartford HealthCare and Cigna have reached a multi-year agreement that will ensure that Cigna members continue to have uninterrupted access to HHC’s physicians, hospitals and services,” the spokesperson said. “This is good news for our patients and communities, and allows us to continue our mission to improve the health and healing of all.”

The spokesperson added that because the agreement was reached before the existing contract expired at midnight Thursday, it “prevents disruption, and provides for high-quality care at predictable, affordable rates.”

No details of the agreement, including its length, were released.

If a new deal had not been reached, all of Hartford HealthCare’s hospitals and affiliated medical practices would have become out-of-network for Cigna policyholders.

The affected hospitals include Hartford Hospital; William Backus in Norwich; Midstate Medical Center in Meriden; The Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain and Southington; Charlotte Hungerford in Torrington; St. Vincent’s in Bridgeport; and Windham Hospital.

Cigna, based in Bloomfield, also provided a statement via email.

"The new agreement we reached with Hartford HealthCare will offer quality, affordable care for the people we jointly serve and will expand our value-based care programs," the email states. "We look forward to working with Hartford HealthCare to continue improving the health and vitality of our customers in this community."