Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine went out of network with UnitedHealthcare on Aug. 25 after the parties were unable to agree on a new contract.
The split comes after the two sides negotiated for eight months and extended their current agreement several times.
Johns Hopkins said on its website Aug. 25 that it is continuing to work with UnitedHealthcare and “hope to resume in-network status as soon as possible.”
A Johns Hopkins spokesperson told WBAL on Aug. 26 that “this is not about money, nor is it about small administrative issues.”
“We are negotiating our contract with United so that we can avoid aggressive claim denials that delay necessary care, excessive red tape that forces patients to wait for treatments, and significant payment delays that strain our ability to provide care,” the spokesperson told the outlet in a statement. “We will not sign a contract that allows an insurance company to put profits over patients’ health and well-being.”
UnitedHealthcare Mid-Atlantic CEO Joseph Ochipinti told the news outlet that Johns Hopkins “refused to move off contractual terms no other health system in our network requires, including language that would allow it to deny patient access at its discretion.”
“Despite our repeated efforts to compromise and extend our contract to avoid disruption, Johns Hopkins refused,” Mr. Ochipinti told the news outlet in a statement. “While we remain committed to continued negotiation, our top priority now is providing people with the care they need through continuity of care or a smooth transition to another provider, as appropriate.”
The split affects Johns Hopkins providers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Johns Hopkins providers in Florida remain in network with UnitedHealthcare.
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