Some UnitedHealthcare insurance policyholders can see WakeMed doctors after the two companies reached a three-year agreement.
According to WakeMed, the agreement begins on Oct. 15 and puts WakeMed hospitals, outpatient clinics and specialty physicians back in network for UnitedHealthcare commercial plan members. WakeMed said primary care doctors, ambulatory surgery centers and 210 PET imaging facilities were already under contract with UnitedHealthcare.
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The new contract does not include WakeMed's hospitals, specialists, and home health services in United's Medicare Advantage plans.
"Throughout these negotiations, WakeMed remained committed to reaching terms that would restore access for UnitedHealthcare members while appropriately recognizing the care and service WakeMed provides to our community," said WakeMed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Stephanie Sessoms. "The new agreement includes meaningful improvements in reimbursement and contractual terms and provides a more sustainable foundation for WakeMed and UnitedHealthcare to continue their commercial relationship over the coming years,”
WakeMed is currently notifying patients, providers, and community members about the new agreement.
The latest contract dispute dates back to September 2025,
when WakeMed warned patients that those insured by UnitedHealthcare could lose
in-network access if the two sides did not reach an agreement. A few months later, UnitedHealthcare announced that WakeMed facilities
were out-of-network.
The two organizations also experienced a contract lapse in 2022, leaving some UnitedHealthcare patients out of network for six months before the sides reached a new agreement.
