UT Health East Texas

We are actively negotiating in good faith to renew our network relationship with UT Health East Texas

We are engaged in good-faith negotiation with UT Health East Texas to renew our network relationship. Our goal is to reach an agreement that is affordable for consumers and employers in East Texas while providing continued access to the health system.

In the event we are unable to reach an agreement, UT Health East Texas’ hospitals and providers will be out of network for people enrolled in the following plans, effective October 15, 2026:

  • Employer-sponsored and individual commercial plans
  • Individual Family Plan (IFP)
  • Medicare Advantage plans, including Group Retiree and Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP)
  • UnitedHealthcare Community Plans in Texas (Medicaid)

Facts you should know

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

UT Health East Texas is seeking unsustainable rate increases that are not affordable and would increase health care costs for consumers and employers in East Texas

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.

We are committed to engaging in productive, good-faith negotiation and urge UT Health East Texas to provide a proposal that is reasonable and affordable.

We are proposing rate increases that will continue to reimburse UT Health East Texas fairly and similarly to its peers while slowing the unsustainable rise in 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 committed to engaging in productive, good-faith negotiation and are hopeful that UT Health East Texas will continue to work with us to reach an agreement that is affordable for consumers and customers in East Texas.

Our goal is to reach an agreement and avoid disruption in care for our members

We proposed to extend our current contracts, which would have provided our members continued network access to UT Health East Texas while we continued our discussions.

Unfortunately, UT Health East Texas refused, presumably as leverage to help obtain the price increases they are seeking.

We are fully committed to engaging in productive, good-faith discussions with UT Health East Texas and will remain at the negotiating table for as long as it takes to reach an agreement.

We hope UT Health East Texas shares our commitment and works with us on solutions that are affordable and sustainable.

Frequently asked questions

We have created the following FAQs to ensure you and your family have the information needed regarding next steps as well as details to help meet your health care needs.

We are engaged in good-faith negotiation with UT Health East Texas to renew our network relationship. Our goal is to reach an agreement that is affordable for consumers and employers in East Texas while providing continued access to the health system.

In the event we are unable to reach an agreement, UT Health East Texas’ hospitals and providers will be out of network for people enrolled in the following plans, effective October 15, 2026: 

  • Employer-sponsored and individual commercial plans
  • Individual Family Plan (IFP)
  • Medicare Advantage plans, including Group Retiree and Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP)
  • UnitedHealthcare Community Plans in Texas (Medicaid)

If we are unable to reach an agreement, the following UT Health East Texas hospitals will be out of network, effective October 15, 2026:

  • UT Health Athens
  • UT Health Pittsburg
  • UT Health Quitman
  • UT Health Henderson
  • UT Health Tyler
  • UT Health Jacksonville
  • UT Health East Texas Rehabilitation Center (Tyler)
  • UT Health North Campus Tyler

In the event we are unable to reach an agreement, UT Health East Texas’ hospitals and providers will be out of network for people enrolled in the following plans, effective October 15, 2026: 

  • Employer-sponsored and individual commercial plans
  • Individual Family Plan (IFP)
  • Medicare Advantage plans, including Group Retiree and Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP)
  • UnitedHealthcare Community Plans in Texas (Medicaid)

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 hospitals and providers.

If we are unable to renew our agreement with UT Health East Texas, the people we are privileged to serve will continue to have access to in-network care from a broad network of providers and hospitals across East Texas.

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:

UnitedHealthcare members who are in the middle of treatment at a UT Health East Texas hospital or with a UT Health East Texas physician may qualify for continuity of care, which provides continued in-network benefits for a specified period of time after a hospital or physician leaves our network.

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

Any member who believes they need continuity of care should contact UnitedHealthcare to determine if they are eligible.

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.

Members enrolled in our Group Retiree Medicare Advantage PPO plans may still receive care from a UT Health East Texas 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.

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

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: