UnitedHealthcare (“United”) Frequently Asked Questions 

The contract between Hartford HealthCare and United commercial & MA expires at midnight on March 31, 2025. However, if we cannot come to an agreement by March 31, 2025, Connecticut state law requires an additional two-month in-network period for hospital services, but it is limited to commercial plans only. This means that Hartford HealthCare’s seven hospitals would remain in-network with United commercial plans through May 31, 2025. All other services, including physician services, ambulatory surgery centers, skilled nursing facilities, home health care, and urgent care would be out of network as of midnight on March 31, 2025. In addition, all Hartford HealthCare providers would be out of network for United MA plans as of midnight on March 31, 2025. Please note Behavioral Health is contracted separately under United Behavioral Health and is not impacted by this potential expiration. Patients in an active course of treatment may be able to continue seeing the care team they know and trust at in-network benefit levels if they receive a Continuity of Care coverage determination from United. For United Medicare Advantage members, Continuity of Care requests are managed through United’s out of network authorization process. 

UnitedHealthcare and Oxford Health Plans commercial plans and United MA plans

Affected facilities/physicians as of midnight 3/31/2025
Jefferson House Jerome Home Southington Care Center Hartford HealthCare at Home Hartford HealthCare Medical Group (HHCMG) Physicians Alliance of Connecticut (PACT) One Medical OnMed ICP Community practices HHCMG/GoHealth Urgent Care locations Hartford HealthCare (St. Vincent’s) Urgent Care locations Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists Outpatient Surgical Center Hunter’s Ambulance	Connecticut Orthopedic Surgery Center Constitution Surgery Center East Glastonbury Surgery Center Hartford Surgery Center Rocky Hill Surgery Center  Southington Surgery Center Southwest Connecticut Surgery Center Greater New Haven ASC River Valley ASC Surgery Center of Fairfield County The Surgical Center of Connecticut Specialty Surgery Center of CT Litchfield Hills Surgery Center
Additional affected facilities as of midnight 3/31/2025
Hartford Hospital (Hartford) The Hospital of Central Connecticut (New Britain and Southington) MidState Medical Center (Meriden) Backus Hospital (Norwich) Windham Hospital (Willimantic) St. Vincent’s Medical Center (Bridgeport)  Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (Torrington)

Affected facilities/physicians as of midnight 3/31/2025
Jefferson House Jerome Home Southington Care Center Hartford HealthCare at Home Hartford HealthCare Medical Group (HHCMG) Physicians Alliance of Connecticut (PACT) One Medical OnMed ICP Community practices HHCMG/GoHealth Urgent Care locations Hartford HealthCare (St. Vincent’s) Urgent Care locations Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists Outpatient Surgical Center Hunter’s Ambulance	Connecticut Orthopedic Surgery Center Constitution Surgery Center East Glastonbury Surgery Center Hartford Surgery Center Rocky Hill Surgery Center  Southington Surgery Center Southwest Connecticut Surgery Center Greater New Haven ASC River Valley ASC Surgery Center of Fairfield County The Surgical Center of Connecticut Specialty Surgery Center of CT Litchfield Hills Surgery Center
Additional affected facilities as of midnight 3/31/2025
Hartford Hospital (Hartford) The Hospital of Central Connecticut (New Britain and Southington) MidState Medical Center (Meriden) Backus Hospital (Norwich) Windham Hospital (Willimantic) St. Vincent’s Medical Center (Bridgeport)  Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (Torrington)

Yes. We continue to negotiate with United. Our objective is continuing to provide high-quality care to all our United-insured customers on an in-network basis. We are working with United to ensure your continued access to in-network services across Hartford HealthCare.

Behavioral Health services are contracted under a separate agreement and are not affected by our contract negotiations with United.  Hartford Healthcare will remain in-network for behavioral health services. 

We would remain in-network for rehabilitation services for United commercial plans through May 31, 2025.  We would be out of network for MA as of midnight on March 31, 2025. 

Transplant services are contracted under a separate agreement with United and we would remain in-network for transplant services.  However, transplant-related services provided one year or more post-surgery are not covered under the separate agreement for transplant services and therefore will be impacted by the contract expiration. Please contact United to see if you are eligible for Continuation of Care coverage.to continue seeing your provider at in-network benefit levels. 

Hospital services for United commercial plan participants only will be covered in-network through May 31, 2025, as required by Connecticut state law, but Hartford HealthCare Medical Group provider services would be out of network as of midnight on March 31, 2025, except for patients in an active course of treatment and approved Continuity of Care coverage from United. All services for MA would be out of network as of midnight on March 31, 2025, except for patients in an active course of treatment with approved out of network coverage authorization from United. Please note, MA Group Retiree PPO plan members can receive out of network care at in-network benefit levels. 

We will be here to provide the care you need, and you can continue to access Hartford HealthCare services on an out of network basis. It is important that you know that the amount United covers and what you may have to pay out of pocket for services received from Hartford HealthCare will likely change. Please contact United for further information related to your coverage.

Unless a new agreement is reached, services scheduled on or after April 1st may be processed as out-of-network, and, if they are, you will likely have a larger out-of-pocket cost. If you have out-of-network benefits, your financial responsibility will be based upon those benefits. If your United plan does not include out-of-network benefits, a self-pay estimate of the financial responsibility can be obtained by contacting Financial Clearance at 860.696.6380. We do however recommend that you contact United by calling the number on the back of your card to have them confirm your coverage and provider network status.

Hartford HealthCare will send its claim to United. If Hartford HealthCare is out of network at the time you receive care, United may send you a check for the covered amount of the service instead of paying Hartford HealthCare directly. Any money you receive from United can be used to pay Hartford HealthCare for the services provided. Note that United’s check may not be the full amount owed for the services provided, so you may owe an additional balance. You are responsible for paying Hartford HealthCare the total amount due on the claim. To make a payment to Hartford HealthCare directly you may:

• Sign over the United check to Hartford HealthCare and mail the signed check and a check for any required balance due to: 
  
  • Hartford HealthCare
    PO Box 23630
    New York, NY 10087-3630
• Remit the full balance to Hartford HealthCare via online, credit card or personal check: 
  
  • Pay Online at https://www.MyChartPLUS.org
  • Pay by credit card by calling 877.HHC.BILL (877.442.2455)
  • Pay by personal check, mail to: 
    Hartford HealthCare
    PO Box 23630
    New York, NY 10087-3630

Please mail a copy of any remittance advice/explanation of benefits that you receive from United to the address above. 

Yes, these include but are not limited to:

• Anthem
• Aetna
• CarePartners of Connecticut (MA only)
• Cigna (commercial only)
• ConnectiCare

Medicare beneficiaries may be able to change MA plans or return to Original Medicare until March 31 or within the first 3 months you get Medicare. It is referred to as the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. More information on the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is available from CMS. You may visit the CMS website at www.medicare.gov/publications/11219-Understanding-Medicare-Advantage-Medicare-Drug-Plan-Enrollment-Periods.pdf or you can call Medicare at 1.800.MEDICARE (1.800.633.4227). TTY users can call 1.877.486.2048.

Patients with an MA Group Retiree MAPPO plan may visit retiree.uhc.com for more information on how their plan may be impactedcan receive out of network care at in-network benefit levels. 

We encourage you to contact United directly for more information and be aware that United should notify you if you need to choose a new in-network primary care provider. 

Please call the phone number on the back of your UnitedHealthcare ID card if you have any questions about how this will affect your access to the care team you know and trust.  

You may be eligible for Continuity of Care benefits from United. United members who are receiving ongoing treatment for special conditions (such as late-term pregnancy or cancer care) may qualify.

For commercial plan members, if you think you may qualify, please call the phone number on the back of your UnitedHealthcare ID card and let United’s representative know that you’re in the middle of treatment and request the Continuity of Care coverage form. United will see if you’re eligible and help you complete their forms. This form must be approved by United.  
 
For MA plan members (excluding MA Group Retiree PPO plan members), in order to continue to see your provider at in-network benefit levels, you need to complete United’s out of network authorization process. Please call United directly for information about that process. 

For MA Group Retiree PPO plan members, you can receive out of network care at in-network benefit levels. No out of network authorization is required. 

Continuity of Care process is a health plan process that, under certain circumstances, allows eligible patients to continue to receive in-network coverage with a treating provider who has left the UnitedHealthcare network. 

Some examples include if a patient is undergoing a course of treatment for:

• a serious and complex medical condition
• institutional or inpatient care
• scheduled to undergo non-elective surgery, including receipt of postoperative care with respect to the surgery
• pregnancy
• a terminally ill disease and is receiving treatment for such illness
• an acute episode of chronic illness or an acute medical condition

Please note that emergent admissions do NOT require a Continuity of Care form or an out of network authorization to be submitted to receive in-network coverage.

You can go to the nearest hospital. Emergency services are always covered at in-network benefit levels. 

No. Hartford HealthCare does not have a copy of the Continuity of Care form. Commercial patients must call the phone number on the back of their UnitedHealthcare ID card to determine if they qualify. If United determines that a patient qualifies, they will provide the appropriate Continuity of Care form for the patient’s benefit plan.

Yes, both the patient and provider must sign the form. 

Please follow the submission process indicated on the Continuity of Care form.   

Patients can submit Continuity of Care forms after they receive written notice of the pending contract expiration. Patients must apply for Continuity of Care coverage within 30 days of the health care professional’s going out of network. 

We believe that a request can be submitted after the service occurred, as long as it is submitted within 30 days of the health care professional’s going out of network. However, we encourage you to call United about Continuity of Care coverage. 

We believe the turnaround time for Continuity of Care requests will be within 15 days of receipt, but it can vary depending on volume and completeness of submitted information. Patients must apply for Continuity of Care coverage within 30 days of the health care professional’s termination date. 

No, a separate Continuity of Care form must be completed and signed by each provider/facility involved in the care. 

90 days from the termination date or through the completion of the current active course of treatment, whichever comes first.

We are not aware of any dedicated website specific to the Continuity of Care process.

Any previously approved prior authorization should be honored. Patients should call the phone number on the back of their UnitedHealthcare ID card to confirm whether United will honor a previously approved prior authorization.

Yes, as long as the provider performing the service is in-network at the time of service.

United Medicare supplemental plans will not be impacted. 

Yes, as long as the surgery itself is covered by your United plan. If you are admitted prior to the expiration date, your covered surgery will be covered at in-network benefit levels regardless of your discharge date.