The two sides have reached a multi-year contract agreement, according to a Feb. 20 news release from UTMB Health.
“UTMB is pleased to welcome back patients who were unable to receive care from our physicians and facilities due to out-of-network status. We value Aetna as a health insurance partner dedicated to serving our communities,” Kent Pickering, vice president of managed care and clinical contract strategies at the health system said.
Aetna and UTMB Health first split in 2021, according to the Houston Chronicle. In 2020, Ben Raimer, former president of UTMB, said Aetna refused to work with the system on the cost of prescription drugs, according to the Chronicle.
In 2020, 16,000 UTMB patients were in-network with Aetna, the Chronicle reported.
“[UTMB] is a valued partner in our efforts to serve Aetna members with access to quality, convenient, affordable care,” said Cathy Hughes, Aetna’s vice president of network, western region. “We look forward to working together to meet the healthcare needs of our shared members and patients.”
UTMB operates four hospital campuses in southeast Texas.