St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital Remains in Network for United Healthcare Members

Some good news for people in our area who have UnitedHealthcare Insurance.

St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital remains in-network for patients with UnitedHealthcare (UHC) Insurance even though St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens and some other components of St. Mary’s Health Care System are now out of network as the system works to negotiate a new agreement with UHC.

St. Mary’s Medical Group physicians and practices – including Clear Creek OB/GYN, Oconee Heart & Vascular Center (Dr. Steven Lowman), and Sacred Heart Primary Care – also remain in-network for UHC patients.

Patients with UHC commercial and Medicare Advantage plans should continue to keep and schedule appointments as usual.

Emergency care is always covered at in-network rates.

While the agreement between St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens and UHC expired on June 30, the negotiations between United Healthcare and St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens continue and do not affect patients who need care at Sacred Heart Hospital, Clear Creek OB/GYN or Sacred Heart Primary Care.

“As a not-for-profit health system, rising supply and labor costs have made it difficult to maintain the services and convenience patients deserve,” said Stonish Pierce, President and CEO of Trinity Health Georgia, which includes all three hospitals in the St. Mary’s Ministry. “We are doing our best to adapt and innovate, but we rely on fair reimbursement to keep our doors open. Without it, we cannot provide the care and services patients depend on and need.

Pierce continued, “Unfortunately, despite UnitedHealth Group (UHC’s parent company) making record profits of $22 billion last year, UHC has not offered a contract that puts patients’ health over their own wealth. We believe everyone deserves access to high-quality health care. That’s why we are determined to protect patient access to St. Mary’s Hospital and push for what’s right, so we are here to care for the next generation.”

For more information about the negotiations between the Athens hospital and UHC, visit www.stmarys-health.org/uhc or call (706) 225-8258.