UnitedHealthcare and Atlanta-based health system Northside have yet to reach a contract renewal agreement after two of the health system's hospitals dropped out of network with the payer three months ago. The current contract between UnitedHealthcare and the remaining Northside hospitals will expire Aug. 1, according to Georgia Health News.
In a statement to the publication June 14, United accused Northside of increasing the cost of physician-administered drugs.
"Despite these high costs, Northside is demanding a double-digit price hike over the next three years that would significantly increase healthcare costs," the health insurer said. "We are asking Northside to work with us to help make healthcare affordable for the residents and employers we serve in Georgia."
The nonprofit system told the publication it had been in negotiations with United "for quite some time. While we have not reached an agreement on what's best for Northside's patients who have lost their healthcare coverage, we're committed to fixing this situation. We hope that United will do the same."
Two Northside hospitals in Georgia's Gwinnett County have been out of United's network since March 1. United notified 5,000 members of the network change, the article said.