No Changes for UnitedHealthcare Patients During Talks with IU Health

Contract negotiations between IU Health and UnitedHealthcare are continuing, but patients won’t notice any difference in the interim, according to IU Health officials. The Dec. 31 expiration of the contract between the provider and insurance company means that IU Health facilities and physicians are no longer in network for most patients covered under UnitedHealthcare health insurance. However, IU Health issued a statement saying they will treat UnitedHealthcare patients and their portion of the bill as ‘in-network’ as of Jan. 1, 2014.

This special ‘in-network’ status means that UnitedHealthcare patients may continue to receive care from IU Health doctors and IU Health facilities, but are responsible for any in-network deductible and co-pay fees. This special in-network status will apply to the portion of a patient’s bill that is based on the 2014 benefit levels.

No immediate steps are required to receive this in-network status.  Patients are encouraged to schedule appointments and visit care providers as they normally would.  If a patient sees their IU Health provider and receives a statement that includes fees higher than anticipated, such as out-of-network charges, they should call the number listed on the statement and the fees will be adjusted to in-network costs.