After a contract dispute in early 2023 left Northeast Georgia Health System patients with commercial UnitedHealthcare insurance out of network, the health system now says all negotiations have “ceased.”
Steve McNeilly, chief population health officer and vice president of care management operations at NGHS, said the situation was “not the outcome we want for our patients.”
“United's senior leaders will not return our calls and refuse to speak with NGHS executive leadership,” McNeilly said. he said in a statement. “We have no choice but to focus our efforts now on clearly communicating with the communities we serve and helping affected patients in the limited ways we can.”
A request for comment from UnitedHealthcare was not immediately returned as of Thursday afternoon.
“We understand the concern that United's lack of cooperation during these negotiations has caused, and we appreciate the community's support as we sought a fair deal,” McNeilly said. “Many of the local businesses that previously offered insurance to employees through United have changed their offerings, and many of the patients who were able to make changes during open enrollment did so. We know these changes were not easy to make, and we are grateful for their faith”.
While UnitedHealthcare could not be reached Thursday, a December update on the United website said reaching an agreement with NGHS remains a “top priority”.
“Unfortunately, little progress has been made in the nearly eight months since NGHS chose to leave our network,” United said in the December announcement. “NGHS's latest proposal has effectively alienated our organizations. NGHS is seeking an approximate 25% rate increase that would apply to the first 24 months of our contract, including demands for a rate increase of nearly 14% in the first year that would made it the most expensive hospitals in Georgia.”
NGHS previously told AccessWDUN that it was seeking a single-digit raise and that the claims from United were inaccurate.
Those with commercial UnitedHealthcare can still receive care at NGHS Emergency Departments regardless of the status of a contract between the two entities.
