Cincinnati-based UC Health and health insurer UnitedHealthcare have agreed on a contract covering 20,000 UnitedHealthcare customers who get health insurance through their employers, according to a Cincinnati Enquirer report.
Both sides agreed to the new contract on Wednesday, but they were not able to reach a new deal covering 5,000 older and disabled customers who use UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage plan, according to the report.
UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage customers now have to pay out-of-network costs for care at UC Health. However, these customers do have options, as UnitedHealthcare's network includes 11 other area hospitals and 3,000 physicians, according to the report.
UC Health officials contend UnitedHealthcare is looking "to get 'higher-cost patients' away from academic medical facilities," while UnitedHealthcare officials contend "UC Health, among other things, would not accept performance incentives for physicians," according to the report.
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