A week after Johns Hopkins Medicine and UnitedHealthcare ended their in-network agreement, tens of thousands of patients across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., are navigating new hurdles in accessing care. The breakdown in negotiations has left an estimated 60,000 UnitedHealthcare members facing potential out-of-pocket costs that could reach thousands of dollars.
UnitedHealthcare’s Position
Joseph Ochipinti, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s Mid-Atlantic region, said the insurer’s priority is supporting members with serious health conditions. He accused Johns Hopkins of withholding standard clinical and physician information needed to process continuity-of-care requests.
“This is yet another example of Johns Hopkins putting patients in the middle of our negotiation, seemingly using them as leverage to push for contractual terms that would allow them to deny care at their discretion,” Ochipinti said.
UnitedHealthcare reported that 99% of continuity-of-care requests had been approved, though the company did not specify how many had been processed. Approvals are valid for 90 days, and the insurer has not clarified whether claims would be retroactively covered if an agreement is eventually reached.
Johns Hopkins’ Response
Johns Hopkins officials stated that negotiations have been ongoing for more than eight months. Kim Hoppe, vice president of public relations, said the dispute is not about money or administrative issues.
According to Hoppe, the health system is seeking to avoid “aggressive claim denials that delay necessary care, excessive red tape that forces patients to wait for treatments, and significant payment delays that strain our ability to provide care.” She added that Hopkins will not agree to a contract “that allows an insurance company to put profits over patients’ health and well-being.”
Broader Impact and Ongoing Disputes
In addition to Johns Hopkins, UnitedHealthcare is also in discussions with Capital Women’s Care after their in-network contract expired on August 1.
The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) has launched an investigation into UnitedHealthcare’s network adequacy and continuity-of-care practices in light of these disputes.
Patients’ Rights and Protections
MIA outlined several protections available to Maryland patients under state and federal law:
- Federal No Surprises Act: Requires up to 90 days of continuity of care for patients undergoing treatment for serious and complex conditions, inpatient care, nonelective surgeries, terminal illness, or pregnancy.
- Maryland Law: Provides an additional requirement for 90 days of continuity of care for primary care providers.
For denied or delayed requests, MIA said patients should contact them immediately. The agency is escalating cases directly with UnitedHealthcare and monitoring compliance with continuity-of-care obligations.
While the MIA does not have the authority to resolve the contract dispute itself, the agency is reviewing whether UnitedHealthcare’s networks remain adequate and whether continuity-of-care practices are being properly implemented. Findings could lead to penalties if violations are identified.
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