A message to the people we serve from Laurie Mandell, commercial CEO, UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina

As someone who proudly calls North Carolina home, I understand the deep trust our communities and people place in our health systems throughout the state. We want people to have broad, predictable access to quality care. However, we also have a responsibility to ensure that access is affordable.

Employers, employees and families throughout eastern North Carolina are already struggling to afford rising health care costs. The leading driver of these increases are the prices hospitals charge—such as ECU Health—which is seeking to increase what it is paid by nearly 60% over the next three years. This would place additional financial strain on people and employers during challenging economic times, impacting the money families have for needed necessities such as groceries, housing, utilities and more.

ECU Health’s proposed price hikes would make it significantly more expensive than any hospital in our extensive North Carolina network. It would cost 65% more to receive care at ECU Medical Center than the average of all other academic medical centers throughout the state by 2028. For example, delivering a baby at ECU Medical Center would cost over $24,000 more than the average at all other academic medical centers in North Carolina in 2028.

Nearly 90% of UnitedHealthcare employers in eastern North Carolina self-fund their health plans, meaning the employer pays the cost of care while we administer benefits on their behalf. When provider costs rise, employers bear the financial risk, often limiting their ability to raise wages, invest in growth or support their workforce. Many are forced to pass higher costs on to their employees through increased deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses and contributions.

Small businesses that are fully insured face similarly difficult choices: Do they raise premiums, increase copays and deductibles, or discontinue health benefits altogether?

We have had a longstanding relationship with ECU Health. UnitedHealthcare and the UnitedHealth Foundation (UHF) have provided the health system 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 to continue that partnership, but not at the expense of the people and employers we serve.

We know this is personal. Quality care matters, but it must also be affordable. No one should be forced to choose between their health and their financial peace of mind.

We care deeply about the communities throughout eastern North Carolina. We will remain at the negotiating table as long as it takes to reach a fair agreement for North Carolinians. We hope ECU Health will do the same. Quality care can and should be affordable—and the people and employers we serve deserve both.

Sincerely,

Laurie Mandell