YORK COUNTY, Pa. — “I would hate to have to change doctors at 102,” said Sandy Harper.
Harper is a York County senior who has UnitedHealthcare insurance.
But since the insurance company’s contract ended with WellSpan Health it caused him, along with about 35,000 others, to be out of network.
This is a reality he says is frustrating.
“I was very disappointed because they said, I would no longer be in the network, and it would probably cost us more and its already costing too much,” said Harper.
WellSpan temporarily extended their contract with UnitedHealthcare to accept three of their insurance plans until the end of month.
However, that doesn’t help Harper.
He says he didn’t receive word from UnitedHealthcare about this situation.
Harper’s daughter, Cyndi Myers, takes her dad to his doctor’s visits.
She says this situation is scary.
“We don’t even know who in York will accept UnitedHealthcare. So, we don’t even know if he has a local option, which would force him to have to change his healthcare plan to some other plan that is accepted,” said Myers.
“Changing doctors would be a that would be a big obstacle. I’ve been with this doctor for 25-or-30 years. He knows me and I know him,” said Harper.
“This is not a population that deals easily with change. So, you know the whole thing is just really unsettling,” said Myer.
Myers says her dad has a history of medical conditions that a new doctor would look at as concerning, which may cause him to deal with unnecessary testing, treatment, and costs.
“He’s on a limited income so the impact financially could be devastating,” said Myers.
Harper says all he can do is hope WellSpan will sign another contract with UnitedHealthcare.
“It would make my life a whole lot easier, if they would sign it. I could stay with the same doctors, stay with WellSpan, things would stay the same,” said Harper.
WellSpan says there are no new negotiations currently and that UnitedHealthcare creates administrative financial burdens and delays patient processes.
Additionally, WellSpan also says they initiated negotiations with United nine months ago, which they believe was ample time to address concerns.
UnitedHealthcare says WellSpan hospitals have undergone unsustainable price hikes and it’s their top priority to reach an agreement that is affordable for Pennsylvania families and employers.
Not all UnitedHealthcare plans are impacted by its contract ending with WellSpan.
Visit WellSpan's website for more information on plans that are affected.