Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday applauded announcements from UPMC and Highmark that they will renew agreements which provide in-network access to health care for customers of both companies.

UPMC and Highmark have been working under consent decrees signed in 2014 that provide care for both companies’ customers, but the agreements will expire at the end of June 2019. On Thursday the companies announced that the agreements were extended for five years, to 2024.

Without the terms reached Thursday commercial customers of Highmark would have been denied in-network access to community and specialty UPMC providers and facilities, Wolf said.

He said the terms will provide continued access to critical and unique services, and to certain facilities that are the only hospital in a community.

The agreement ensures access for customers of both companies to Western Psychiatric Institute, UPMC Center for Assistive Technology, UPMC Center for Excellence for treatment of Cystic Fibrosis, certain highly specialized transplant services only available through UPMC and selected UPMC Joint Ventures with community facilities, including oncology.

Highmark enrollees will also have continued access to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh under the terms of an existing agreement.

“This landmark agreement means consumers of both companies will have in-network access to facilities that provide one-of-a-kind services,” Wolf said. “This is medical care that simply is not available anywhere else in the region, and denying affordable access to this vital care is just not acceptable. I am pleased that with this agreement access will continue.”