The contract is pending finalization and official signatures, the health system said. A spokesperson did not specify the terms of the new agreement, which was reached Nov. 26.
“Tufts Health Direct patients will receive an updated notice regarding their ability to continue to use the services of South Shore Health after December 31, 2025,” the system said on its website.
In a statement Monday, a spokesperson for Point32Health said the insurer was in the process of notifying impacted members.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with South Shore Health,” the spokesperson said. “The agreement will be signed in the next few days and covers all our plans.”
Despite resolution with Point32, South Shore Health still faces ongoing contract negotiations with UnitedHealthcare.
The health system said it has extended its contract with UnitedHealthcare for employer-sponsored plans until February. However it is unlikely the contract will resolve for those with United Medicare Advantage. To date, 3,900 patients with a United Medicare Advantage plan have received notification of a pending contract termination.
Without an agreement on the Medicare Advantage plan, South Shore Hospital and South Shore Visiting Nurses Association, a home health care provider, will become out of network starting Jan. 1. Doctors and providers at the medical center will be out of network starting in May, and urgent care services at the system’s Health Express clinics will be out of network in mid-October.
“If you are scheduled for South Shore Hospital-based care, including scheduled surgical procedures, lab testing, or radiology services, after December 31, 2025, your appointments will be cancelled,” South Shore posted on its website.
Some patients may continue to receive care for a limited period of time despite the contract termination, though it is up to the insurer, including pregnant patients and those in active treatment for cancer.
“People enrolled in our network for Medicare Advantage plans continue to have access to a large network of providers throughout Massachusetts,” the insurer said in a statement. “UnitedHealthcare members should call us at the number on their health plan ID card if they need assistance finding another hospital in our network in their area.”
Jessica Bartlett can be reached at jessica.bartlett@globe.com. Follow her @ByJessBartlett.