Our commitment to you and your family’s health care needs

We know your relationship with your doctors are deeply personal and important. We want to keep UAB in our network and are fully committed to continued good-faith negotiation. However, we need UAB to provide a proposal that is affordable for you as well as all of the people and employers we serve.

As we continue our discussions with UAB, we also want to provide you with the information you need regarding next steps should UAB leave our network.

Our number one priority is providing you continued, uninterrupted access to the care you need. If you or a loved one are in the middle of treatment at a UAB facility or from one of its physicians at the time they leave our network, you 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. If you or someone in your family are in active or ongoing treatment with a UAB provider at the time they go out of network, you may qualify for continuity of care. Some conditions that may be eligible include but are not limited to:

  • Women who are pregnant
  • People in active or ongoing treatment for serious conditions such as cancer

Please call the number on your health plan ID card if you have questions about continuity of care, including whether you or a family member might be eligible. Our dedicated team of advocates is ready to support you and help answer any questions you might have.

We understand this is difficult, and we promise to keep you informed every step of the way as we work hard to reach an agreement that is affordable while providing continued, uninterrupted network access to UAB.

We have prepared the following FAQs to help answer any questions you or your family might have regarding our negotiation as well as important information regarding next steps, should UAB leave our network.

FAQs

Our current contract with UAB Medicine (UAB) remains in effect through July 31, 2025. If we are unable to reach an agreement, UAB’s hospitals, facilities and its physicians will be out of network for people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored commercial plans and Medicare Advantage plans, effective Aug. 1.

Please note UAB Hospital in Birmingham does not currently participate in our Medicare Advantage network. All other UAB hospitals and provider locations participate in our Medicare Advantage network as of today.

This impacts all UAB hospitals, facilities and their physician locations, including UAB St. Vincent’s and Baptist Health. Hospitals included are:

UAB

  • The Kirklin Clinic of UAB Hospital
  • UAB Callahan Eye Hospital
  • UAB Hospital in Birmingham
  • UAB Hospital Highlands
  • UAB Medical West

UAB Baptist

  • Baptist Medical Center East
  • Baptist Medical Center South
  • Prattville Baptist Hospital

UAB St. Vincent’s

  • St. Vincent’s Blount
  • St. Vincent’s Chilton
  • St. Vincent’s East
  • St. Vincent’s Hospital (Birmingham)
  • St. Vincent’s St. Clair

Please note UAB Hospital in Birmingham does not currently participate in our Medicare Advantage network. All other UAB hospitals and provider locations participate in our Medicare Advantage network as of today.

This impacts people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored commercial plans and Medicare Advantage plans, including Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) and Group Retiree.

If you are enrolled in a UnitedHealthcare Group Retiree PPO plan, you may still receive care at UAB’s hospitals or with UAB’s physicians as an out-of-network provider, if they are a Medicare-approved provider that accepts the plan. Your share of the cost will typically be the same as if they were part of the network.

We encourage you to speak with your local hospital or physician to confirm they’ll continue to see you, regardless of their network status. 

For additional information about our Group Retiree plan as well as information on how to find a provider in your area, please go to retiree.uhc.com.

If you or someone in your family is in the middle of treatment at a UAB facility or from one of its physicians at the time they go out of network, you may be eligible 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. Some conditions that may be eligible for continuity of care include but are not limited to:

  • Patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed cancer or those currently in active cancer treatment may qualify;
  • Women who are pregnant

If you or someone in your family has questions about continuity of care or need assistance on how to apply, please call the number on your health plan ID card. 

Yes. Our goal is to reach an agreement that is affordable for you, your family as well as employers while ensuring continued, long-term access to UAB. We continue to make numerous compromises and are committed to utilizing the remaining time on our contract to engage in good-faith negotiation. However, we need UAB to come to the negotiating table with a proposal that’s affordable for you and all of the people we serve.

We know the care UAB provides is not only important but also personal to you and your family. That’s why we’re working hard to reach an agreement that would provide continued, long-term network access to the health system.

However, in the event UAB leaves our network, we want you to know you continue to have access to a broad network of hospitals and physicians throughout the area.

Some examples of hospitals remaining in our network in the area include but are not limited to:

  • Brookwood Baptist Medical Center
  • Citizens Baptist Medical Center
  • Community Hospital
  • Elmore Community Hospital
  • Grandview Medical Center
  • Jackson Hospital & Clinic
  • Princeton Baptist Medical Center
  • Shelby Baptist Medical Center

If you or a family member has questions or needs assistance finding alternative providers in your area, please call the number on your health plan ID card. You can also use the provider directory at myuhc.com to search for alternative hospitals and physicians in your area.

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