A contract dispute between ECU Health and UnitedHealthcare is now impacting thousands of patients across Eastern Carolina. As of now ECU Health is out of network with UnitedHealthcare.

For Medicaid patients, this applies to all ECU Health providers.

For more than a year, leaders on both sides say they’ve wanted a deal, but disagree on costs.

UnitedHealthcare says ECU Health is asking for a major price increase, nearly 60%, which it warns could raise premiums and out-of-pocket costs for patients and employers. Meantime, ECU Health says it’s been underpaid for years, with little reimbursement growth despite rising costs for staffing and care.

April 29, 2026, is when ECU Health hospitals and facilities, as well as Vidant Medical Group physicians, go out of network for people with the UnitedHealthCare Community Plan (Medicaid). Feb. 15, 2027, is when ECU Physicians would also be out of network for people in NC with Medicaid, according to UnitedHealthcare.

Leaders for the health system say they need adjustments to keep services sustainable, especially in rural communities, and warn proposed cuts could threaten access to care. Patients are urged to check with their providers about possible impacts.

The following is the statement from ECU Health found on their website:

Despite our efforts, as of April 29, 2026, ECU Health is out of network with UnitedHealthcare. For Medicaid patients, this applies to all ECU Health providers (except former ECU Physicians clinics), hospitals, clinics and facilities. For Medicare Advantage and Commercial patients, changes are occurring in phases, beginning with ECU Health Physician Group providers and expanding to additional services over time.For nearly a year, we have worked in good faith to reach an agreement with UHC that would preserve in-network access for our patients. Throughout this process, we have made every effort to engage constructively and move negotiations forward. However, those efforts have been met with delays, limited responsiveness, and proposals that do not reflect the realities of providing care in our region.We understand that being out of network with UHC may create challenges and disruptions for many of our patients, and we want to be clear that this is not the outcome we hoped for.As of April 29, UnitedHealthcare has not updated their online member directories and provider partner portals, creating even more confusion for their members. Therefore, UHC members may see certain ECU Health providers and entities listed as ‘in-network” when, in fact, they are now out-of-network with UHC.In addition, patients with UHC coverage are encouraged to contact UHC about continuity of care, securing approval for out-of-network coverage and obtaining post-termination authorization letters.

United Health Care gave the following statement that can be found on their website:

Our goal is to renew our network relationship with ECU Health while providing families access to affordable careWe are actively negotiating with ECU Health to renew our network relationship following the health system’s decision to issue a notice to end our current contract.We have a longstanding relationship with ECU Health. UnitedHealthcare and the UnitedHealth Foundation (UHF) have provided ECU Health multiple grants over the past few years as part of our collaborative efforts to improve the health and well-being of the people we serve throughout eastern North Carolina.We want people to have continued access to ECU Health. However, we also have a responsibility to ensure that access is affordable. Health care costs are directly affected by the reimbursement we negotiate with health systems in our network. One of the leading drivers of rising health care costs are the prices hospitals charge, such as ECU Health.Our goal during this negotiation is to reach a solution that continues to reimburse ECU Health appropriately so they can continue providing the quality care people rely on while not placing a burden on hard-working families and employers already struggling during challenging economic times.Comment with Bubbles

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As we continue our discussions with ECU Health, we want you to be aware of the potential impact of the health system’s demands on you and your family, as well as important information you need should ECU Health choose to leave our network.