Eye Health Northwest

Eye Health Northwest is Out of Network Effective Aug. 15, 2026

Despite repeated efforts to reach a compromise, we were unable to reach an agreement with Eye Health Northwest’s eye care providers in the Portland metropolitan area.

As a result, Eye Health Northwest’s providers, Eye Health Eastside Surgery Center, and Westside Surgery are out of network for people enrolled in the following plans, effective August 15, 2026:

Employer-sponsored and individual commercial plans
Medicare Advantage plans, including Group Retiree plans

This negotiation only impacts the medical contract with Eye Health Northwest. Eye Health Northwest’s UnitedHealthcare Vision (formerly Spectera Vision) contract for routine eye care is not impacted by this negotiation and will remain in network through a separate agreement.

This is of course not the outcome we have been hoping for. Our goal throughout this negotiation has always been to reach an agreement that is affordable and sustainable for consumers and employers while maintaining continued, uninterrupted network access to Eye Health Northwest’s eye care providers.

Unfortunately, Eye Health Northwest refused to move off its demands for unsustainable rate increases that are not affordable and would increase health care costs for consumers and employers in Oregon.

While we remain open to continuing discussions with Eye Health Northwest, our primary focus at this time is providing our members uninterrupted access to the care they need through either continuity of care or supporting them as they transition to new care providers. We know that network changes can be difficult, but our members can rest assured that they will continue to have access to quality, affordable care from a broad network of eye care providers.

Facts you should know

Eye Health Northwest continues to seek unsustainable rate increases that are not affordable and would increase health care costs for consumers and employers in Oregon

Eye Health Northwest is already nearly 15% higher cost than other eye care providers in Oregon.

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.

If we agreed to Eye Health Northwest demands, health care costs would also increase for people enrolled in our Medicare Advantage plans while also impacting the benefits these seniors rely on.

We are proposing rate increases that will continue to reimburse Eye Health Northwest 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 providers in our network is critical to our ability to meet this commitment to our members and customers.

We are disappointed that Eye Health Northwest will not work with us to reach an agreement that is affordable for consumers and customers in Oregon.

Our goal throughout this negotiation has always been to reach an agreement that is affordable for consumers and employers while maintaining continued, uninterrupted network access to Eye Health Northwest.

Unfortunately, Eye Health Northwest is deploying a familiar tactic of creating disruption in the market, raising public pressure and using 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 Eye Health Northwest that preserves access to care at fair, market-competitive rates.

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

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 eye care providers.

The people we are privileged to serve will continue to have ample access to in-network care from a broad network of ophthalmologists in the Portland metro area.

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

Members enrolled in our Group Retiree Medicare Advantage PPO plans may still receive care from an Eye Health Northwest provider as an out-of-network provider, 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 for some or all services.

UnitedHealthcare Group Retiree Medicare Advantage members are encouraged to speak with their physician 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 in their area, UnitedHealthcare members should go to retiree.uhc.com.