Updated July 18, 2025
Brown University Health hospitals to remain in our Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) and Institutional Special Needs Plan (ISNP) network; four hospitals now out of network for other Medicare Advantage plans, as of July 1.
We have reached an agreement that provides continued, uninterrupted network access to Brown University Health’s hospitals for people enrolled in our Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) and Institutional Special Needs Plan (ISNP).
However, despite our good-faith efforts to reach an agreement, the following Brown University Health hospitals are now out of network for other Medicare Advantage plans, including Group Retiree, as of July 1:
- Hasbro Children’s Hospital
- Miriam Hospital
- Newport Hospital
- Rhode Island Hospital
Our goal was to reach an agreement that is affordable while providing continued, long-term access to the health system’s hospitals. Unfortunately, Brown University Health refused our proposal to extend our contract through the end of 2025 and sought to be paid significantly more than any health system in our Medicare Advantage network in Rhode Island.
We remain committed to continued discussions with Brown University Health should they provide a proposal that is affordable for the people we serve. However, our focus at this time is providing people access to the care they need through continuity of care or a smooth transition to another hospital in our network, as appropriate.
Please see additional information and FAQs regarding continuity of care as well as other providers that continue to remain in our network.
Brown University Health’s physicians are not impacted. They will continue to remain in our network through at least June 30, 2026.
This only impacts our Medicare Advantage contract for four Brown University Health hospitals. Brown University Health’s physicians continue to participate in our Medicare Advantage network through at least June 30, 2026.
Brown University Health sought price hikes that would make their hospitals significantly higher cost than all other hospitals in our Medicare Advantage network in Rhode Island.
Brown University Health demanded to be reimbursed at rates that would make their hospitals an outlier in our Medicare Advantage network in the state. Agreeing to their proposal would increase overall health care costs while also impacting the benefits our Medicare Advantage members rely on.
We proposed to extend our hospital contract for our Medicare Advantage plans through the end of 2025. Brown University Health refused.
Our proposal to extend our current contract would have provided Medicare Advantage members continued network access to Brown University Health’s hospitals while we continued our discussions toward a potential long-term agreement. The health system refused, unnecessarily disrupting access to care for thousands of people enrolled in our Medicare Advantage plans.
UnitedHealthcare members enrolled in a UnitedHealthcare Group Retiree PPO plan may still receive care at Brown University Health’s hospitals as an out-of-network provider, should the health system agree to see them.
People enrolled in our Group Retiree PPO plan may continue to receive care at a Brown University Health hospital if they are a Medicare-approved provider that accepts the plan. Their share of the cost will be the same as if they were part of the network.
We encourage UnitedHealthcare members to speak with their local hospital to confirm they’ll continue to see them, regardless of their network status.
For additional information about our Group Retiree plan as well as information on how to find a provider, UnitedHealthcare members should go to retiree.uhc.com.
UnitedHealthcare members who are in the middle of treatment at a Brown University Health hospital at the time they went out of network may qualify for continuity of care.
Continuity of care provides continued in-network benefits for a specified period of time after a hospital or physician leaves our network. An example of a patient who may qualify includes but is not limited to:
- Patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed cancer, or those currently in active cancer treatment.
UnitedHealthcare members can apply for continuity of care any time from now until 30 days after a health system has been out of network. In this instance, they would have until July 30 to apply for continuity of care.
UnitedHealthcare members who have questions about continuity of care, how to apply or whether they might be eligible, should call the number on their health plan ID card.
We continue to have a broad network of hospitals throughout Rhode Island and the surrounding region that are readily able to provide high-quality care.
Some of the hospitals remaining in our Medicare Advantage network include but are not limited to:
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Care New England Hospitals
- Fatima Hospital
- Kent Hospital
- Landmark Medical Center
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Morton Hospital
- Roger Williams Medical Center
- Saint Anne’s Hospital
- South County Hospital
- Westerly Hospital
- Women and Infants Hospital
UnitedHealthcare members who have questions or need assistance finding an alternative in-network hospital in their area should call the number on their health plan ID card. They can also use the provider directory on our member website at www.myuhc.com to search for hospitals that continue to participate in our network.
We are committed to continued good-faith discussions should Brown University Health rejoin us at the negotiating table and work toward an agreement that is affordable and restores network access to its hospitals.
We have prepared the following FAQs to provide our members the information they need regarding our negotiation, as well as next steps.