UNC Health Insurance Contract Issues
Over 4,000 patients with appointments scheduled at UNC Health in December are facing uncertainty.
A patient with Cigna insurance is affected by the fact that the contract between Cigna and UNC Health is set to expire this week.
This means that Cigna members utilizing the UNC Health system will have to seek alternative providers, incur much higher out-of-network costs, or choose to pay for services out-of-pocket.
In response, UNC Health issued a statement about ongoing negotiations with Cigna.
Viewers have reached out to WRAL News wanting to know when their healthcare provider’s insurance agreements are due to expire.
Overview of Insurance Contracts in North Carolina
People have inquired about how to determine when their contracts with insurance and medical providers will need renewal.
Facilities like North Carolina Health Network, WakeMed, Duke Health, and UNC Health provide information online about which insurance plans they accept.
However, finding out when these contracts expire isn’t particularly straightforward.
In March 2024, UnitedHealthcare entered into long-term agreements with both UNC Health and Duke Health.
A spokesperson from WakeMed commented, “Although our contract hasn’t been extended and WakeMed is currently out of network, negotiations with UnitedHealthcare are ongoing. We are open to discussing Medicare Advantage agreements again if UnitedHealthcare offers fair terms.”
They added that all patients, regardless of their insurance status, can still receive care at WakeMed’s emergency departments, including the only pediatric emergency department in the county.
WakeMed currently has contracts with Cigna and Aetna, which will last until the end of 2026.
The contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina for WakeMed is set to expire on May 21, 2027.
WRAL News inquired about the length of contracts for UNC Health and Duke Health, but no details were shared about their expirations.
Additionally, Duke Health and Aetna reached a new multi-year agreement in October.
