Aetna and Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network have reached a new deal, avoiding a contract split that would have affected thousands of patients, the Morning Call reported Nov. 17.
The new contract is effective immediately, and Aetna members with commercial or Medicare Advantage Plans can continue receiving in-network care at Lehigh Valley Health Network facilities in 2023 and beyond, according to the report.
The health system had informed employers Nov. 10 it would no longer accept most Aetna plans after March 13, 2023. It accused Aetna of refusing to pay for patients' care and denying or delaying care. At that juncture, the health system said it had been trying to solve these issues with the payer since 2017.