Important information for patients with UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare’s contract between University Hospital and Children’s & Women’s Hospital will expire if an agreement cannot be reached by Sept. 30, 2026. UnitedHealthcare will still cover emergency services at all USA Health hospitals.

Message from Michael Chang, M.D.

Michael Chang, M.D., chief physician executive and system chief medical officer at USA Health, shares a message about the expiration of contracts between UnitedHealthcare at University Hospital and Children's & Women's Hospital.

USA Health continues to advocate for patients while UnitedHealthcare prioritizes profits

For generations, USA Health has served as a cornerstone of healthcare in south Alabama and the surrounding region. As the region’s only academic health system, we provide highly specialized care, train the next generation of healthcare professionals and conduct research that advances medicine. Today, more than 7,200 employees work across USA Health, caring for hundreds of thousands of patients each year.

As a nonprofit academic health system, our responsibility is to our patients and the communities we serve. We care for patients with some of the most complex medical needs in our region while maintaining critical services that communities depend on, including trauma care, pediatric specialty care, cancer care and other advanced services.

UnitedHealthcare, meanwhile, is one of the nation’s largest health insurance companies. While the cost of providing healthcare has risen dramatically, the rate at which UnitedHealthcare pays USA Health has remained unchanged since 2019, even as labor and supply costs have surged by approximately 35%.

USA Health has worked in good faith to reach a fair agreement with UnitedHealthcare – one that appropriately reimburses our health system for the care we provide and allows us to continue investing in the physicians, nurses, technology and services our patients depend on. Unfortunately, UnitedHealthcare has been unwilling to agree to reimbursement rates that reflect today’s cost of delivering high-quality healthcare.

This disagreement is about much more than numbers on a spreadsheet. Inadequate reimbursement ultimately threatens patients’ access to care and places additional pressure on the healthcare professionals and institutions that serve our communities every day.

USA Health is deeply rooted in this community. Our employees live here, raise their families here and care for their neighbors here. Our hospitals and clinics are here when our communities need us – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Our responsibility remains clear: to advocate for our patients, our employees and the communities we serve. USA Health remains committed to good-faith negotiations and to reaching a fair, sustainable agreement with UnitedHealthcare that protects patients’ access to the high-quality care they deserve.

Our commitment to providing accessible, high-quality care to the communities we serve remains unchanged.

Throughout negotiations, USA Health has made repeated good-faith efforts to reach an agreement that reflects the rising costs of delivering high-quality care. Unfortunately, UnitedHealthcare has declined to agree to fair and sustainable reimbursement rates, creating uncertainty for patients and families. USA Health remains in network with other major insurers in the region and is prepared to resume discussions with UnitedHealthcare at any time to reach a fair agreement that protects patients’ access to the care they need.

How will this affect me?

While negotiations continue, contracts between UnitedHealthcare and University Hospital and Children’s & Women’s Hospital will expire on Sept. 30, 2026. Without a new agreement, commercial UnitedHealthcare members will be out-of-network at all USA Health hospitals.

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and Veterans Community Care Network plans will remain in network at University Hospital and Children’s & Women’s Hospital. UnitedHealthcare Veterans Community Care remains in network at Providence Hospital.

If you are receiving any of the Covered Services listed below, as of Sept. 30, UnitedHealthcare will continue to render those Covered Services at in-network cost after Oct. 1, for the length of time indicated below:

Details about covered serviced after Sept. 30

If you have specific questions about your coverage, please call the number on the back of your insurance card for details.

Plans accepted

If you are interested in transferring to a different health insurance plan that allows in-network coverage, plans accepted by USA Health include:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama – Commercial and Medicare Advantage
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi – Blue Card
Humana – ChoiceCare, Military Tricare – AL, Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO
Cigna – Commercial and Cigna Healthspring – Medicare Advantage
Aetna – Commercial and Medicare Advantage
Viva – Health and Medicare Advantage
Medicaid – Alabama and Mississippi
Medicare – Alabama and Railroad
Ambetter – Alabama and Mississippi Exchange/Marketplace plans
Devoted Health – Medicare Advantage
Magnolia – Mississippi Exchange Plan
Mississippi Physician Care Network – MPCN – PPO
Molina – Mississippi CHIP – CAN – Exchange
Multiplan Inc – Alabama
Trucare of Mississippi
Wellcare of Mississippi – Medicare Advantage

We encourage you to contact your healthcare provider or location to ensure they accept your specific plan.

All health insurance plans include specific exclusions — treatments, conditions, or services that are not covered. We encourage you to carefully review your policy or contact your insurer directly to confirm whether a particular service, procedure, treatment, or facility is excluded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will UnitedHealthcare insurance no longer be accepted?

We have spent more than a year working to preserve our contract with UnitedHealthcare and to ensure patients can continue receiving care at USA Health facilities. Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach a fair agreement. We encourage you to call UnitedHealthcare at the number on the back of your member ID card and share your concerns about maintaining access to care at all USA Health facilities.

The rate UnitedHealthcare pays USA Health has remained unchanged since 2019, even as labor and supply costs have surged by approximately 35%.

As the only academic health system serving the region, USA Health provides care for patients with the most serious illnesses and injuries. The health system is home to the area’s only Level I trauma center, the region’s only Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), an academic cancer institute and hundreds of physicians delivering highly specialized care.

Every day, thousands of patients rely on USA Health for services that are unavailable anywhere else in the region. From trauma care to complex surgeries and specialized care for the tiniest and sickest newborns, maintaining access to these essential services is critical for the communities USA Health serves.

UnitedHealthcare network status at USA Health locations

My appointment is scheduled after Sept. 30. Should I still go?

Beginning Oct. 1, services and procedures at University Hospital and Children’s & Women’s Hospital will be billed as out-of-network for UnitedHealthcare commercial plan holders, which may result in higher out-of-pocket costs. USA Health Providence Hospital has been out of network since Nov. 15, 2025. Because coverage varies by plan, we encourage you to call the number on the back of your UnitedHealthcare card to confirm your specific benefits. Please review the list of exceptions near the bottom of this page.

Can I continue my care with USA Health even though I won’t be covered on an in-network basis?

Yes, you may continue receiving your care, and we truly value you as our patient. However, please note that your insurance will no longer cover the same portion of your costs. This means you will be personally responsible for a larger share of the charges, which could result in significant out-of-pocket expenses. We want to ensure you are fully informed so there are no unexpected surprises when you receive your bill. Because coverage varies by plan, we encourage you to call the number on the back of your UnitedHealthcare card to confirm your specific benefits.

Are emergency room visits covered?

Yes, UnitedHealthcare is required by federal law to cover all emergently needed services, which will include visits to USA Health emergency departments. Please call the number on the back of your member ID card for questions regarding out-of-network costs.

What should I do now?

Here are a few options:

Continue with your current UnitedHealthcare plan and change doctors (you can use the directory on the UnitedHealthcare website or call the number on your card).
Continue with your current UnitedHealthcare plan and pay the out-of-network costs.
For patients interested in moving to another health insurance plan that allows in-network coverage, plans accepted by USA Health include:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama – Commercial and Medicare Advantage
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi – Blue Card
- Humana – ChoiceCare, Military Tricare – AL, Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO
- Cigna – Commercial and Cigna Healthspring – Medicare Advantage
- Aetna – Commercial and Medicare Advantage
- Viva – Health and Medicare Advantage
- Medicaid – Alabama and Mississippi
- Medicare – Alabama and Railroad
- Ambetter – Alabama and Mississippi Exchange/Marketplace plans
- Devoted Health – Medicare Advantage
- Magnolia – Mississippi Exchange Plan
- Mississippi Physician Care Network – MPCN – PPO
- Molina – Mississippi CHIP – CAN – Exchange
- Multiplan Inc – Alabama
- Trucare of Mississippi
- Wellcare of Mississippi – Medicare Advantage

Can I still use the patient portal?

Yes, your portal account will remain active, and your records — including visit summaries, labs, messages, and prescriptions — will continue to be accessible.

What happens if I am in the hospital when coverage expires Sept. 30?

If you are currently under in-patient care, your services will be covered on an in-network basis for 30 days or until you are discharged, whichever comes first.

My baby is due around the UnitedHealthcare expiration date of Sept. 30. What should I do?

It depends on the risk-level and trimester as of Sept. 30. See the exceptions list near the bottom of this page.

I’m in the middle of chemotherapy. Do I have to go somewhere else?

Chemotherapy and other non-surgical cancer treatments will continue to be covered in-network until the end of your current treatment cycle or for 30 days, whichever is greater. Once your current treatment cycle is complete, these services will no longer be covered in-network. We encourage you to contact UnitedHealthcare at the number listed on the back of your insurance card to share your feedback regarding your access to USA Health hospitals.

What about my infusion therapy?

It depends on the condition being treated. For cancer, chemotherapy will continue to be covered in-network until their current cycle ends or 30 days, whichever is greater. Non-cancer therapies will be considered out-of-network after Sept. 30.

Financial Questions

How much more is out-of-network compared to in-network?

Coverage details vary by plan. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to confirm what the difference is.

How will my outstanding claims or bills be handled?

Charges for services provided prior to Sept. 30 will remain the same.

If I have an appointment on Sept. 30, will I be billed as in-network or out-of-network?

Appointments and visits scheduled on or before Sept. 30 will be covered in-network. Appointments and visits scheduled on or after Oct. 1 will be out-of-network.

If I haven’t paid my bill for services when I was covered, will what I owe change after Sept. 30?

Charges for services provided prior to Sept. 30 will remain the same.

Exceptions

If you are receiving any of the Covered Services listed below, as of Sept. 30, UnitedHealthcare will continue to render those Covered Services at in-network cost after Sept. 30, for the length of time indicated below:

Source: UnitedHealthcare contract

We value the trust you place in us and remain dedicated to providing the dependable care you deserve.