UnitedHealthcare and Haywood Regional Medical Center Split

UnitedHealthcare and Haywood Regional Medical Center Agree to Suspension of Network Participation

March 7, 2008

HAYWOOD COUNTY NC NEWS -- After careful consideration regarding CMS's (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) decertification of Haywood Regional Medical Center and after meeting with the medical center's leadership, UnitedHealthcare and the medical center have mutually agreed to an immediate suspension of the medical center's participation in the UnitedHealthcare commercial health plan network.

As a result, non-emergency health care services provided to UnitedHealthcare members at Haywood Regional will be out-of-network, and coverage will be limited to each health plan participant's out-of-network benefits.

UnitedHealthcare customers with an emergency health care situation should access the nearest emergency services, regardless of whether they are in the UnitedHealthcare network.

In addition, UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage program has terminated Haywood Regional from its Medicare Advantage health care provider network.

The suspension of Haywood Regional as part of UnitedHealthcare's commercial health plan provider network comes following an on-site visit by a UnitedHealthcare team that included its North Carolina medical director. The suspension is effective immediately and will be in effect until there is compelling evidence that problems found at the hospital have been resolved and questions concerning patient safety have been addressed. UnitedHealthcare respects the importance of Haywood Regional to the people of Haywood County and beyond and looks forward to the hospital's return to the UnitedHealthcare network at the appropriate time.

Meanwhile, WestCare Health System and UnitedHealthcare have signed an agreement, effective today, March 7, providing UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and UnitedHealthcare commercial health plan members with access to the health system's full range of services. The agreement includes Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, and Swain County Hospital in Bryson City, North Carolina. Click Here to Read More

UnitedHealthcare members who have questions about what health care services are in-network can call the customer service number on the back of their membership cards.