After weeks of reportedly tense negotiations ahead of a March 1 deadline, Florida Blue and Cleveland Clinic Florida on Friday afternoon struck a deal to keep local residents with Florida Blue health insurance in-network at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital – but details of the agreement are still murky.

The agreement took shape perilously close to the Saturday deadline. Vero Beach 32963 learned about the good news at 2:09 p.m. Friday, and at 3:36 p.m. patients who have presented a Florida Blue insurance card at a Cleveland Clinic facility got an email announcing the resolution to the corporate standoff.

It is not clear how many months or years the agreement spans. We asked but got this opaque answer:

“The contract is a multiyear agreement,” Florida Blue spokesman Jorge Martinez said on Monday. “The details of the contract and the negotiation process are not disclosed by either side.”

Getting hit with bills for facility fees not covered by insurance has been frustrating for Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital patients over the past couple of years. Does the new agreement require Florida Blue to cover any facility fees, which are covered by some other providers?

Again, we asked, but as of press time we do not know this important detail.

“Some insurance companies cover this additional fee, while others apply it to your deductible,” Cleveland Clinic spokesperson Nancee Long said.

“What we encourage all our patients to do, and what we would ask that you encourage your readers to do, is to contact their insurance company to understand their benefits. If they have questions, they can always call one of our financial counselors.”

Long said she could not disclose any additional details beyond Cleveland’s published statement:

“We are pleased to inform you that Cleveland Clinic and Florida Blue have reached a new agreement. This means patients with Florida Blue can continue to receive care at Cleveland Clinic as an in-network facility. We remain committed to your care and value our relationship with you. Thank you for trusting Cleveland Clinic with your healthcare needs,” the statement reads.

Florida Blue and other insurance providers have faced bitter battles over the renewal of network agreements as hospitals – especially nonprofit hospitals like Cleveland Clinic – rail against low reimbursement rates that shrink their bottom line and limit their ability to keep patient costs low.

Broward County’s largest public hospital system failed to work out a deal with Florida Blue last summer and dropped Florida Blue patients. That Broward break-up and other battles with Florida Blue have played out in the media, and on warring corporate websites.

Trinity Health, the umbrella company for more than 100 Catholic-affiliated hospitals in Florida and 21 other states laid out the issue forcefully on its website.

“Health systems are facing inadequate payment from health insurance companies which is making it difficult to provide access to quality care patients deserve. Health insurers rake in record profits from the premiums they collect from patients and the inadequate reimbursement to care providers. Being paid fairly isn’t ‘a nice to have.’ It’s a need to have,” Trinity Health said.