Important information for patients with UnitedHealthcare Health Insurance
Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) is negotiating a new contract with UnitedHealthcare (United). The contract covers the care we provide patients with commercial health insurance plans at all NGHS facilities including:
- All Northeast Georgia Medical Center hospitals
- All Northeast Georgia Physicians Group practices
- All Urgent Care locations
- All Georgia Heart Institute locations
- All practices under management of NGPG
- All outpatient facilities, including:
- Imaging Center
- Cancer Center
- Rehabilitation Center
- New Horizons of Limestone and Lanier Park
- Laurelwood
We started discussions with United in early 2022 to allow enough time to reach an agreement and avoid unnecessary disruption. Our current contract expires on April 30, 2023.
It’s important for you to know that for now, nothing changes. You can and should still access your NGHS providers and facilities as you normally would.
What’s Happening?
Contract negotiations between insurance companies and providers are very common. It’s critical that we have collaborative partnerships with health insurance companies like United. Stability, predictability and fair compensation from United is necessary for us to continue to provide high-quality care for our patients. Every other insurance company we are contracted with recognizes the value we bring to their members and compensates us appropriately for that care. Our goal is to have United leadership recognize the vital role we play in the health of northeast Georgia.
We were there then, and we’re here for you now.
Through our four hospital campuses and dozens of outpatient facilities across 19 counties, we serve over 1 million patients and ensure critical life-saving care is available when it’s needed. We have been here for you and your family, delivering your babies, healing your broken bones, and holding your hand as your loved ones were navigating end-of-life treatment. To do this, we rely on fair, sustainable agreements from our health insurance partners – agreements that show the same level of commitment to the wellbeing of our patients as we do.
Meanwhile, United routinely implements new policies that create barriers to accessing care while continuing to raise premiums – in some cases over 23% – to increase their profits instead of using the money to pay fairly for the care you need. We need United to work with us sincerely and appropriately for NGHS to continue providing vital care to the community. If United refuses to work with us, we will still be here for you – just like we have been for the last 75 years.