NATIONAL NEWS – Johns Hopkins, UnitedHealthcare talks end with no contract, putting patients in limbo

Ananya Roy, News Writer

Johns Hopkins Medicine and UnitedHealthcare remain locked in negotiations after eight months of failed talks, leaving thousands of patients uncertain about access to their doctors. While the dispute is not about reimbursement rates, Hopkins leaders argue that United’s prior authorization rules, claim denials, and red tape are harming care delivery. United counters that Hopkins is demanding contract terms no other health system has required.

The standoff directly impacts UnitedHealthcare members in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Patients may face disruptions in care unless they use the insurer’s “continuity of care” provision, which allows ongoing treatment with Hopkins providers until open enrollment. Emergency services will still be covered at in-network rates, and transplant patients already approved at Hopkins will retain coverage.

For the public, the impasse means some families may need to switch doctors, delay care, or face higher out-of-pocket costs. State officials encourage patients, especially those with OBGYN or chronic conditions, to file complaints if denied coverage. With no resolution in sight, patients remain caught between one of the region’s largest health systems and one of the nation’s biggest insurers.