SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Trinity Health of New England is no longer in UnitedHealthCare’s network, and 22News is here to help you with next steps to take.
Because the two companies could not reach an agreement, Trinity Health of New England will be removed from UnitedHealthcare’s private and Medicare Advantage plans, affecting patients’ coverage and the doctors they can see.
As of July 1, Trinity Health of New England will no longer be in UnitedHealthcare’s network, meaning if your doctor is with Trinity Health, he or she will no longer be covered by your insurance.
But the two companies agreed to a “cooling off period” at Mercy Medical Center, meaning customers can continue to receive in-network coverage at the hospital until Aug. 31.
UnitedHealthcare provided affected people with a list of hospitals that remain in its network, but only Holyoke Medical Center is in Western Massachusetts.
If you want to continue seeing your regular doctor, you will incur higher fees and out-of-network costs. If you’re looking for a new doctor, UnitedHealthcare customers can contact customer care by calling the number on the back of their insurance card.
Both UnitedHealthcare and Trinity Health said they are committed to reaching an agreement, and the insurer said it sent a new proposal to Trinity Health on July 17. In response to a request from 22News, Trinity Health acknowledged it had received the proposal but said it was “incomplete.”
The conflict stems from back-and-forth negotiations between the two companies that failed to reach a deal by a July 1 deadline. The failure to reach an agreement meant that Trinity Health doctors were effectively taken out of UnitedHealthcare’s network immediately.
“We rely on fair payment to provide the care and services our patients rely on and need. Unfortunately, despite making billions of dollars, UnitedHealthcare has chosen to propose price increases that are far below market rate,” Trinity Health of New England said in a statement.
Meanwhile, UnitedHealthcare said, “Trinity Health of New England has refused to back down from demanding more than 30% price increases for its employer-sponsored commercial plans, which will take effect over the next 24 months.”
We have requested multiple times to speak on camera with representatives from both UnitedHealthcare and Trinity Health. Trinity Health has agreed to speak with us next week. UnitedHealthcare has not yet responded to our request.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 and serves Western Massachusetts with local news, network, syndicated and local programming. The 22News digital edition is available weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.