Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Hartford HealthCare have announced that they have reached an agreement on a new contract after months of negotiations.

The announcement, which came early Saturday morning, means that Hartford HealthCare and its affiliated hospitals and clinics will be rejoining the Anthem network. The new three-year contract is retroactive to Oct. 1, so Anthem members who sought health care services since then will receive coverage for those services as if Hartford HealthCare had remained in the Anthem network all along, according to news releases from both companies.

The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich and associated clinics around the region are affiliated with Hartford HealthCare.

“We deeply understand and regret the inconvenience and disruption that being out of network has caused our patients and communities,” Jeffrey Flaks, Hartford HealthCare’s president and chief operating officer, said in his company's release. “Everything we do is aimed at creating more access to exceptional services. I speak for all my colleagues at Hartford HealthCare in thanking our patients for their understanding during this difficult time.”

“Anthem recognizes the disruption caused by the negotiations and the significant impact it had on HHC patients and Anthem members,” Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield President Jill R. Hummel said. “Our members remained our number one priority as we worked hard and in good faith to find common ground and reach agreement. We are very pleased that they are immediately regaining in-network access to all of the hospitals and providers that are a part of the Hartford HealthCare system."

"... We look forward to working closely with HHC to minimize any further disruption and ensure quality affordable healthcare for our members,” she said.