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Tens of thousands of Aetna members in Oregon will have easier, cheaper access to Providence Oregon hospitals and clinics after the large insurer and heath system reached a deal.

As part of a multi-year agreement, Providence Health & Services recently announced that its facilities in Portland and around the state were back in-network as of Dec. 1 for members of Aetna’s commercial plans.

This comes nearly a year after Aetna, a large health insurer owned by industry behemoth CVS Health, dropped Providence Oregon from its network when negotiations broke down due to a conflict over rate increases—the sort that have been roiling the health care industry as costs skyrocket.

“Providence will once again be a valued partner in our efforts to serve Aetna members in Oregon with access to high-quality, convenient care,” says Cathy Hughes, an executive for Aetna’s western region, in a written statement.

Still, the deal will take different forms in different parts of the state. Providence facilities will be in-network for Aetna’s commercial plans throughout the state. But only in Southern Oregon will Aetna’s Medicare Advantage have in-network access to Providence facilities.

An Aetna spokesman declined to share company membership data for Oregon, but government databases make some details available, and indicate Aetna’s Medicare Advantage market in Oregon is only a fraction of the size of its commercial market.

According to a federal dataset, about 5,000 people in the Tri-County area around Portland—and 14,000 in Oregon overall—are members of an Aetna Medicare Advantage plan.

Meanwhile, a state database indicates about 50,000 Oregon residents were as of Sept. 30 enrolled in one of Aetna’s commercial insurance plans. And more than 250,000 Oregon residents were members of self-insured plans—the sort run by large employers—of which Aetna is the administrator.

Aetna says the deal will be a boon for these members, too. “Self-insured customers fall under our Aetna commercial plans,” CVS Health spokesman Phillip Blando tells WW. “So Oregon residents on Aetna self-insured plans will now have in-network access to Providence.”

(KPTV) – Heavy rainfall from an atmospheric river has prompted flood warnings for parts of Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington. It’s also causing some issues for local school districts.

Latest FOX 12 Weather forecast

LIVE UPDATES BELOW:

8:30 a.m.

Toutle Lake School District is now closed Tuesday. Updated list of closures and delays here.

7:40 a.m.

Portland General: 4,571 customers without power

Pacific Power: 37 customers without power

Clark PUD: 476 customers without power

7:30 a.m.

Willamette Falls Drive is closed in West Linn due to a large tree that fell across the roadway.

Police said power lines have also come down across the road. Portland General Electric is reporting more than 1,600 customers are without power.

6:15 a.m.

Seaside School District will be closed Tuesday due to flooding. Full list of closures and delays

6:00 a.m.

Nestucca Valley, Tillamook, Castle Rock, Toutle Lake and Winlock school districts are all operating on a two-hour delay Tuesday morning. The Toledo School District has closed.

Full list of closures and delays

5:30 a.m.

Flood warnings have been issues for Clackamas, Multnomah, Clatsop, Tillamook, and Lincoln counties in Oregon. In Washington, multiple counties including Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania are under flood warnings as well.

FOX 12 Weather Alerts

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PORTLAND, Ore. — With heavy rain in the forecast through Wednesday, parts of Western Oregon and Southwest Washington are facing the threat of flooding.

The winter storm prompted several flood warnings and watches from the National Weather Service, including along the coast and local waterways that are prone to flooding.

Flooding could hit rivers, creeks, and other waterways that drain from the Coast Range, Willapa Hills, and Cascades.

Clackamas County officials issued a warning of their own Monday night, asking people to prepare for potential flooding in the county’s low-lying areas. That included Johnson Creek, which is expected to reach flood stage early Tuesday morning.

While the heaviest rainfall is expected through Wednesday, waterways could continue to rise through the day Thursday.

CLOSURES AND DELAYS

There are a couple school delays in effect due to the weather, primarily along the Oregon coast.

The Tillamook and Neah-Kah-Nie School Districts are on a two-hour delay on Tuesday to give buses and families more daylight to safely navigate roads. They are also cancelling AM preschool on Tuesday.

Tillamook Bay Community College campuses are also on a two-hour delay.

You can keep up with the latest delays and cancellations here.

POWER OUT?

With strong wind gusts coupled with the soaking rain, there’s a chance of trees or debris falling and bringing down power lines.

If you see a downed power line, stay away from it and call 911.

RELATED | Fallen tree knocks out power for customers in NE Portland, downed lines cause car fire

As of 8 p.m. Monday, Portland General Electric was reporting 12 different outages causing just under 500 customers to lose power. The largest, impacting 173 customers, was reported at about 7 p.m. in the Garden Home area of Southwest Portland.

PGE is asking customers to have a game plan in place should there be a power outage or downed power line.

You should have an emergency kit ready that can take care of you and your family for a few days.

PGE also recommends having your contact information up-to-date with your utility company so you can get updates on any outages.

DRIVING IN THE RAIN

The wet weather could spell trouble on the roads, with decreased visibility, ponding on the road, and slippery conditions.

If you encounter a flooded area, forecasters say you should always ‘turn around – don’t drown.’

“Please do not drive over flooded roads, it is impossible to know how deep the water truly is or if the road has washed out!” the NWS said.

Emergency officials are asking everyone to slow down, as wet roads can be slippery and it’s easier for drivers to hydroplane.

As the winter weather sets in, it is also important to remember the rainy day driving essentials – increase your following and stopping distance, avoid cruise control, and use your headlights.

SANDBAGS

Many of the local counties and cities offer sandbag filling locations to help people protect their homes from rising floodwaters.

If you go to a sandbag filling location, remember to bring your own shovel, as they are typically not provided at the sites.

Clackamas County has several sandbag filling locations across the region.

Hillsboro has two sandbag filling sites for anyone worried about flooding near their home, one at Frances Street Park and another at Griffin Oaks Park.