PITTSBURGH—The union representing thousands of health care workers in Pennsylvania is running radio ads urging the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Highmark Inc. to agree on a long-term deal to allow Highmark insurance customers continued access to UPMC hospitals and doctors.

The giant hospital network and the insurance company in December agreed to extend their current deal by a year, to the end of June 2013, but have yet to come to a long-term agreement.

The companies have been increasingly at odds since Highmark announced a $475 million takeover of the West Penn Allegheny Health System in June, a smaller hospital network that nonetheless is UPMC's chief rival in Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ( http://bit.ly/IgBC7N) reports the SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, which has 20,000 Pennsylvania members, is urging a deal in part because its members include 2,000 West Penn workers.

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Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, http://www.post-gazette.com