We were not able to come to an agreement with UHC.
(If you are interested in how and why that occurred, please see the end of this message).
However, the main purpose of this message is to let you know that we value the relationship that we have built over time. Here’s how you can continue seeing us as your healthcare provider. For the details click here United Healthcare FAQ.
The short version is that every aspect of your visit going forward with us such as labs and specialist referrals would be in-network. The only out of network service would be the actual visit with our provider. And we have discounted our rate to accommodate just such a situation. You may be able to get a portion of the visit reimbursed by UHC, or if you have a high deductible, you would have been paying that amount anyway whether we were in-network or out of network.
The bottom line is that we value our relationship with you and hope that it can continue under this arrangement.
Addendum: UHC/DFM Issues:
We have been in-network with UHC since our inception in 2001. There have been many problems with our relationship with UHC over the years as many of you remember. UHC leads the way in denying member services which we fight for behind the scenes – denials for prescription drugs and Xray studies. Almost every request results in a Prior Authorization. These requests are inefficient and require nurses and doctors having to call UHC and being placed on hold. One nurse just this week had to call 4 different phone trees, spending hours of her time, and still the patient’s insulin was denied.
Coming through a tough pandemic, serving on the frontlines, absorbing higher supply and labor costs, we counted on our insurance partners to support quality healthcare.
BCBS, Cigna, and Aetna stepped up.
UHC did not. UHC has proposed to reimburse us much less for the same services, and they want to lock in that low rate for many years. They will not budge and have not negotiated with us for over 2 months.
Many independent doctors are reassessing their relationship with UHC. Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat among many other groups may go out of network soon. For more information on UHC and its predatory practices towards NC physicians and its customers, you may visit www.NCWakeUp.com.
So that’s why we had no choice but to leave the UHC network. We hope that they will revisit our relationship as we are always open to discussion.