University of Vermont Health Network and UnitedHealthcare say patients will continue to be covered as in-network through May 27.
Vermont’s biggest health care provider and the nation’s largest health insurer have been negotiating a new contract since the old one expired April 1. Coverage was due to end Friday.
“UVM Health Network and UnitedHealthcare continue finalizing a new contract, and have again extended our agreement through May 27,” Annie Mackin, spokesperson for UVM Health Network, texted VTDigger Friday. “This is complex work that takes time, and extending the agreement allows us to complete the process without interruptions to coverage for our patients.”
“We continue to work toward finalizing a new contract with UVM Health Network,” Cole Manbeck, spokesperson for UnitedHealthcare, said in an email to VTDigger. “We have extended our agreement through May 27, allowing us additional time to finalize the terms of the deal without any interruption to care for the people we serve.”
A dispute over how much UnitedHealthcare should reimburse UVM Health Network left thousands of Vermonters and New Yorkers wondering whether they would be able to afford to continue getting care through UVM Medical Center, Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, Porter Medical Center in Middlebury and three hospitals in upstate New York.
The contract dispute only affects people covered by UnitedHealthcare employer plans. UnitedHealthcare said people covered by the insurance carrier for Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplemental insurance are not affected, nor are veterans. UVM Health Network said it would continue to accept UnitedHealthcare coverage for home health and hospice patients.
This is the third contract extension while the two sides work on a new deal. Coverage was initially extended through April 30, then May 13.
