United HealthCare (UHC)

Protecting your healthcare access and choice.

At Dignity Health, we believe every patient deserves access to high-quality health care from the medical teams they know and trust.

We are working to reach a new, fair agreement with United HealthCare (UHC) to protect patient choice and access to essential health care services and will also enable us to continue fulfilling our mission now and in the future.

If UHC is unwilling to agree to a responsible agreement, patients could lose in-network access to care on January 1, 2025.

Dignity Health has been caring for our communities for generations, and our medical team has provided world-class and lifesaving health care to our community and beyond. As a not-for-profit, mission-driven organization, fair agreements with insurance companies give us the ability to continue caring for patients, investing in our employees, and ensuring access to high-quality, essential care.

Take action today to protect your healthcare access and choice:

• Call UHC at the number on the back of your insurance card and urge them to work with Dignity Health facilities and providers on a new agreement.
• Talk to your employer’s human resources or benefits team and urge them to contact UHC.
• Call us at <phone number> to learn more about your health insurance options.

If we are unable to reach agreement with UHC, the following plans will be out of network as of January 1, 2025:

Dignity Health has network agreements with many health insurance companies. Click here for a list of United Healthcare health plans in your state.

FAQ

What is happening between Dignity Health and UHC?

Over the last several months, Dignity Health has been working to reach a new, responsible contract agreement with UHC that puts patients first. Our goal in working with UHC is to protect patients’ access to our medical teams and other vital health care resources while ensuring our ability to continue to provide quality services now and in the future. UHC’s current proposal could impact Dignity Health’s ability to sustain essential services and make investments in clinical care and our employees. If an agreement is not reached by 11:59 p.m. on December 31, UHC contracts with Dignity Health facilities and providers would expire on January 1, 2025.

When would UHC consider Dignity Health’s providers and services out-of-network?

If UHC is unwilling to work with Dignity Health, the majority of our providers and services would no longer be in-network with UHC beginning January 1, 2025.

What happens if no agreement is reached? Will I still be able to receive care at Dignity Health facilities?

If you are currently in active treatment, have appointments or procedures scheduled, or have been treated by a physician over the last several months, you may qualify for protected in-network access through Continuity of Care benefits. Continuity of Care is a benefit intended to protect patients from having to change providers or having care delayed or disrupted if an agreement between a health plan and provider is terminated. This benefit is a state law, and United Healthcare, like all licensed health plans, must abide by the requirements.

Health care conditions that may be covered by Continuity of Care include:

• Acute services needing ongoing treatment, such as chemotherapy, hyperbaric treatment and radiation therapy
• Chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, orthopedic issues and many others
• Maternity-related care
• Pediatric care between the ages of birth and 36 months
• Services related to a terminal illness
• Authorized surgeries or other procedures scheduled to occur within 180 days of the contract’s termination
• Other services previously authorized by United Healthcare

Your doctor’s office is available to assist with filling out the Continuity of Care form. For questions about Continuity of Care eligibility, benefits, and access to the form, please call United Healthcare using the Member Service number on the back of your United Healthcare identification card. You may also access the form on this UHC website.

Emergency care in our emergency departments will still be considered in-network for patients.

What is Dignity Health doing to protect patients?

We are doing everything we can to protect patient access to the medical teams and services they know and trust. We will continue working with UHC in good faith to reach a new agreement that protects patients’ access to essential services.

Does Dignity Health intend to leave the UHC network?

No. Leaving the network is not our intent. Our current contract with UHC is set to expire on Dec. 31, and for months we have been diligently working to re-negotiate a new and responsible contract with UHC in a timely manner. A new contract must be made jointly between both Dignity Health and UHC. We are hopeful we can reach an agreement by Dec. 31.

What can patients do to protect access to care?

Patients can take action today to protect their healthcare access and choice:

• Call UHC at the number on the back of your insurance card and urge them to work with Dignity Health providers on a new agreement.
• Talk to your employer’s human resources or benefits team and urge them to contact UHC.
• Call us at <phone number> to learn more about your health insurance options.