For several months, we have been working hard to negotiate a new agreement with UnitedHealthcare (United) that protects our patients’ access to Duke Health and appropriately reimburses us for the expert, complex care only we can provide. United, though, has yet to agree to such terms, and is likely to remove Duke Health from its network on October 31, 2024. If this occurs, patients with UnitedHealthcare insurance will have to pay more out of pocket to access care at Duke Health beginning November 1, 2024.
Protecting Access & Preparing for a Potential Out of Network Period
As we approach a potential termination (Oct. 31), our goal is to minimize disruption for our patients and our clinical teams while we continue to seek a reasonable resolution.
Here’s what you should know today:
- There is significant operational planning underway to ensure teams, patients and referring providers have a clear understanding of any new processes and available resources.
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Patients receiving treatment for certain conditions may be eligible for Continuity of Care benefits. Learn more about Continuity of Care and our work to connect patients with additional resources in this Tip Sheet.
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In the next few weeks, we will begin reaching out to patients with United insurance that have appointments scheduled after November 1, 2024, to share their options. Processes are in place to support the teams involved in this outreach.
For now: teams and clinicians should continue care as usual. Please be aware of the work underway as outlined above, including a possible termination with United on Oct. 31. Use the resources available to you to support conversations regarding Continuity of Care or other topics of interest to patients.
We understand that patients and their loved ones may have questions about this work. Please use the resources below as you engage with them on this topic, and please reach out to Keith Stover with questions about how to best support patients as we all work together to navigate this moment.
Resources for Duke Health teams:
Resources for patients:
Thank you for your continued leadership as we navigate this time for our patients.
