City of Hope in California

Important information about our relationship with City of Hope in California

UnitedHealthcare and City of Hope (COH) have reached agreement to renew our network relationship for employer-sponsored commercial plans.

UnitedHealthcare members enrolled in employer-sponsored commercial plans have continued, uninterrupted access to the following COH physicians and locations:

  • City of Hope National Medical Center - Duarte
  • City of Hope National Medical Center - Irvine
  • City of Hope Medical Foundation providers
  • City of Hope’s clinical care locations in California

UnitedHealthcare and City of Hope have mutually agreed to end our Medicare Advantage contract. This means that COH’s physicians and provider locations are now out of network for members enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and Group Retiree plans, effective Jan. 15, 2026.

As part of our effort to be transparent and to help our members make informed choices regarding their health care needs, we notified impacted members during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period regarding the possibility COH could go out of network.

Thank you for your support throughout the negotiation process. UnitedHealthcare is honored to serve you!

Here are a few things you need to know:

COH physicians as well as the following COH provider locations are now out of network for members enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and Group Retiree plans, effective Jan. 15, 2026

  • City of Hope National Medical Center - Duarte
  • City of Hope National Medical Center - Irvine
  • City of Hope Medical Foundation providers
  • City of Hope’s clinical care locations in California

Our number one priority is providing the people we serve continued, uninterrupted access to the care they need. Impacted members who are in the middle of cancer treatment at COH are eligible to continue their care at in-network costs.

Continuity of care allows people in the middle of treatment at the time a provider leaves our network to continue accessing care with their provider for a period of time.

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 services

UnitedHealthcare members must apply and be approved for continuity of care.

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.

We understand how important it is to have access to quality care – especially when facing something as serious as cancer.

Members enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and Group Retiree plans will continue to have access to a broad network of cancer centers and oncology specialists across Southern California, including, but not limited to:

  • Cedars Sinai Medical Center
  • Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
  • USC Kenneth Norris Jr. Hospital
  • Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
  • University of California Irvine Medical Center
  • Huntington Memorial Hospital

Members enrolled in our Medicare Advantage PPO and Group Retiree plans may receive care from COH as an out-of-network provider, if they are a participating provider that accepts the plan.

If members have a Group Retiree PPO plan, the member’s share of the cost is typically the same as if the provider was part of the network.

UnitedHealthcare Group Retiree members are encouraged to speak with the provider to confirm they will provide care, regardless of their network status.

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: