A contract dispute between Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed Health and Hospitals and UnitedHealthcare could leave 20,000 patients out-of-network if an agreement is not reached before June 1, according to a May 5 North Carolina Public Radio report.
The payer and provider are butting heads over reimbursement policies and rates, according to the report. WakeMed said UnitedHealthcare denies too many claims, while the payer said the health system's reimbursement rate demands are too high.
With a 20 percent market share, UnitedHealthcare is the second largest health insurer in North Carolina.