People who have Regence insurance can continue to get in-network care at The Everett Clinic and The Polyclinic.

The Everett Herald reports Regence will send letters to thousands of affected members and notify employers and brokers.

Regence has been negotiating to remain at the healthcare outlets in Everett for weeks. They came to an agreement late Thursday.

“We’re pleased to share that we have reached an agreement with Optum to keep The Everett Clinic and The Polyclinic in network for our Commercial members. There should be no disruption in care for our Commercial members because of these negotiations,” Regence wrote on its website.

“We are disappointed the negotiations ultimately created uncertainty for our members and customers, particularly during the tripledemic of COVID-19, RSV, and the flu,” the post continued. “We would like to thank you for your patience as we navigated this difficult negotiation.”

Without a deal, The Everett Clinic and The Polyclinic would have been out-of-network. That means patients would face much higher bills.

The state Health Care Authority reports that 16,000 people will be impacted by the deal.

The agreement does not cover Medicare Advantage plan members. Negotiations are continuing on that front.