Aspirus Health

We are actively negotiating in good faith to renew our network relationship with Aspirus Health in Wisconsin and Michigan

We are engaged in good-faith negotiation with Aspirus Health to renew our network relationship. Our goal is to reach an agreement that is affordable for consumers and employers while providing continued access to Aspirus’ hospitals and physicians.

In the event we are unable to reach an agreement, Aspirus’ hospitals and providers will be out of network for people enrolled in the following plans, effective January 1, 2027:

  • Employer-sponsored and individual commercial plans
  • Medicare Advantage plans, including Group Retiree and Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP)
  • UnitedHealthcare Community Plans in Wisconsin (Medicaid)

Facts you should know

Aspirus is seeking unsustainable double-digit price hikes that are not affordable and would increase health care costs for consumers and employers in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Excessive rate demands have an impact on the cost of premiums as well as out-of-pocket costs for the people we serve, while also driving up the cost to do business for employers.

The double-digit rate increases demanded by Aspirus would directly drive-up health care costs for our self-funded customers given that these employers pay the cost of their employees’ medical bills themselves rather than relying on UnitedHealthcare to pay those claims.

We have a responsibility to provide the people we serve with access to quality health care while also helping to contain rapidly rising health care costs.

We are committed to engaging in productive, good-faith negotiation and urge Aspirus to provide a proposal that is reasonable and affordable.

If we agreed to Aspirus’ demands, health care costs would also increase for people enrolled in our Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans.

Unsustainable increases impact the benefits seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans rely on.

The states where we operate our Medicaid plans have asked us to support their efforts to provide quality health care coverage to their residents while also helping to contain rapidly rising health care costs.

We take this responsibility seriously and are committed to being a good steward of taxpayer dollars.

We are proposing market-competitive rates that will continue to reimburse Aspirus fairly and similarly to its peers while slowing the unsustainable rise in health care costs.

We have a responsibility to provide the people we serve with access to quality health care while also helping to contain rapidly rising health care costs.

Maintaining fair and competitive agreements with the hospitals and providers in our network is critical to our ability to meet this commitment to our members and customers.

We are committed to engaging in productive, good-faith negotiation and are hopeful that Aspirus will continue to work with us to reach an agreement that is affordable for families and customers in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Our goal is to reach an agreement and avoid disruption in care for our members.

Unfortunately, Aspirus is deploying a familiar tactic of creating disruption in the market, raising public pressure and using the possibility of network disruption as leverage to obtain significant price increases. 

This tactic puts patients, families and employers in the middle of a public dispute instead of keeping the focus where it belongs—on reaching an affordable, sustainable agreement.

We will not agree to demands that would make health care less affordable for the people and employers we serve.

We remain committed to negotiating responsibly and reaching an agreement with Aspirus that preserves access to care at fair, market-competitive rates.

We hope Aspirus shares our commitment and works with us on solutions that are affordable and sustainable.

Frequently asked questions

We have created the following FAQs to ensure you and your family have the information needed regarding next steps as well as details to help meet your health care needs.

We are engaged in good-faith negotiation with Aspirus Health to renew our network relationship. Our goal is to reach an agreement that is affordable for consumers and employers in Wisconsin and Michigan while providing continued access to Aspirus’ hospitals and physicians.

In the event we are unable to reach an agreement, Aspirus’ hospitals and providers will be out of network for people enrolled in the following plans, effective January 1, 2027:

  • Employer-sponsored and individual commercial plans
  • Medicare Advantage plans, including Group Retiree and Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP)
  • UnitedHealthcare Community Plans in Wisconsin (Medicaid)

In the event we are unable to reach an agreement, the following Aspirus hospitals will be out of network, effective January 1, 2027:

  • Aspirus Eagle River Hospital
  • Aspirus Iron River Hospital
  • Aspirus Ironwood Hospital
  • Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital
  • Aspirus Langlade Hospital
  • Aspirus Medford Hospital
  • Aspirus Merrill Hospital
  • Aspirus Plover Hospital
  • Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital
  • Aspirus Stanley Hospital
  • Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital
  • Aspirus Wausau Hospital
  • Aspirus Wisconsin Rapids Hospital
  • Divine Savior Hospital
  • Howard Young Medical Center
  • North Central Health Care
  • Norwood Health Center
  • Aspirus Chippewa Falls Hospital

In the event we are unable to reach an agreement, Aspirus’ hospitals and providers will be out of network for people enrolled in the following plans, effective January 1, 2027:

  • Employer-sponsored and individual commercial plans
  • Medicare Advantage plans, including Group Retiree and Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP)
  • UnitedHealthcare Community Plans in Wisconsin (Medicaid)

People enrolled in our Medicare Advantage PPO and Group Retiree plans may receive care from an out-of-network provider, if the provider is a Medicare participating provider which accepts the plan.

If people have a Group Retiree PPO plan, their share of the cost is typically the same as if the provider was part of the network.

Members enrolled in our Medicare Advantage PPO and Group Retiree plans are encouraged to speak with the provider to confirm they will provide care, regardless of their network status.

We understand that network changes can be difficult. Our priority is to provide our members access to the care they need through a robust network of hospitals and providers.

If we are unable to renew our agreement with Aspirus, the people we are privileged to serve will continue to have access to in-network care from a broad network of providers and hospitals across northern and central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, including but not limited to:

  • Baraga County Memorial Hospital
  • Flambeau Hospital
  • Marshfield Medical Center - Neillsville
  • Marshfield Medical Center River Region
  • Marshfield Medical Center Weston
  • Marshfield Medical Center - Minocqua
  • MCHS Chippewa Valley
  • Portage Hospital
  • SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Baraboo
  • ThedaCare Medical Center - Shawano
  • ThedaCare Medical Center - Waupaca

For support finding in-network hospitals, members can call the customer care number on their health plan ID card or visit their plan’s website:

UnitedHealthcare members who are in the middle of treatment at an Aspirus hospital or with an Aspirus physician may qualify for continuity of care, which provides continued in-network benefits for a specified period of time after a hospital or physician leaves our network.  

Examples of conditions that would be eligible for continuity of care include but are not limited to the following:

  • People in active treatment for cancer
  • Individuals in ongoing treatment for transplant service

Any member who believes they need continuity of care should contact UnitedHealthcare to determine if they are eligible.

For information regarding how to apply and whether they might be eligible for continuity of care, members should call the number on their health plan ID card.

In the event of an emergency, UnitedHealthcare members should go to the nearest hospital and will be covered at the in-network benefit level, regardless of whether the hospital participates in our network.

UnitedHealthcare members should always go to the nearest hospital in the event of an emergency. Their services will be covered at the in-network benefit level, regardless of whether the hospital participates in UnitedHealthcare’s network.

For support finding in-network hospitals, members can call the customer care number on their health plan ID card or visit their plan’s website: