UnitedHealthcare and St. Louis-based SSM Health are set to go out of network in 2026 without a new contract in place.
Individuals with employer-sponsored commercial or Medicaid coverage from UnitedHealthcare will lose in-network access to SSM Health’s hospitals, facilities and its physicians in Missouri and Illinois. People enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans, including D-SNP and group retiree, are not affected.
“SSM Health is committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate care to the communities it serves,” the health system wrote on its website. “SSM Health’s ability to continue that commitment is at risk because UnitedHealthcare (UHC) continues to insist on creating obstacles that get in the way of delivering exceptional patient care and makes patients’ access to care more difficult.”
“We know the relationship between people and their doctors is deeply personal and important. We are doing everything we can to reach an agreement and we will remain at the negotiating table as long as it takes,” the insurer wrote online. “However, we need SSM Health to work with us toward an agreement that is affordable and sustainable for the people and local companies we serve.”
