Updated April 25, 2024
UnitedHealthcare urges Axia Women’s Health to return to the negotiating table with a reasonable proposal that would restore network access at fair, market-competitive rates that promote an affordable, predictable experience for our members. For information on finding alternative in-network providers, please visit the Information for our Members page.
Axia Women’s Health has refused to move off of its demands for unsustainable price hikes and is now out of network
Despite our continued efforts to compromise, Axia Women’s Health (formerly known as “Regional Women’s Health Group”) has chosen to leave our employer-sponsored, individual, Medicaid, Dual Special Needs (D-SNP), Group Retiree and Medicare Advantage networks, effective April 1, 2024. We have a responsibility to provide the people we serve with access to quality health care while also helping to contain rapidly rising health care costs. Our goal throughout this negotiation was to keep Axia Women’s Health in our network at rates that are affordable for our members and employer customers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This negotiation does not affect Axia Women’s Health’s specialists or locations in other states.
For information on alternative providers and continuity of care, visit the “Information for Members” page.
Axia Women’s Health is one of the most expensive OB-GYN providers in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, yet the health system is demanding a price hike of more than 20% that would drive up the cost of care for the people and employers we serve
Axia Women’s Health is one of the most expensive OB-GYN providers on average in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, yet it is demanding an unsustainable price hike of more than 20% over the next three years. This is in addition to Axia Women’s Health’s existing lab costs, which are already so high that if our members utilized outside third-party lab providers, they could save as much as 50% in related costs.
Throughout the negotiation, Axia Women’s Health has refused to compromise and instead has slowed the negotiation’s progress by significantly raising its rate demands in its most recent proposal. Unfortunately, these new demands would further increase premiums and out-of-pocket costs for our members as well as the cost of doing business for companies that simply want to offer affordable health care coverage for their employees. UnitedHealthcare isn’t the first to recognize how Axia Women’s Health is contributing to high cost of care for its patients, as the health system recently engaged in a similar public negotiation with another major insurance company.
Accepting Axia Women’s Health’s demands would challenge New Jersey and Pennsylvania employers’ ability to offer affordable health care benefits
Health care costs continue to be a top concern for consumers and employers, and they expect us to help in making health care more affordable. That’s especially true today, as businesses throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania struggle to keep their doors open and attract and retain the employees they need. It’s more critical now than ever that we ensure they have access to affordable health care.
Axia Women’s Health’s current proposal would directly drive up health care costs for our self-insured customers, given that these employers pay the cost of their employees’ medical bills themselves rather than relying on UnitedHealthcare to pay those claims. The majority of the people we serve in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are enrolled in self-funded employer plans.
We have proposed a multi-year contract with rate increases that would reimburse Axia Women’s Health at levels that are more than fair and reasonable for the services it provides
We have made numerous attempts to compromise in the spirit of good-faith negotiation. We have proposed a new contract that would ensure Axia Women’s Health continues to be reimbursed at rates that are more than fair and reasonable for the services it provides our members while also helping ensure health care is more affordable for the people and employers we serve throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We are also proposing rates that would reimburse Axia Women’s Health’s lab services at levels more in line with its peers in the market. Unfortunately, Axia Women’s Health has declined our proposal and has instead backtracked by increasing its demands for unsustainable price hikes that would drive up health care costs for consumers and employers.
Our goal is to reach an agreement that restores network access to Axia Women’s Health. We urge the health system to join us at the negotiating table with a reasonable proposal that’s affordable and sustainable for the members and businesses we serve throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
We know the relationship our members have with their OB-GYN is not only important, it’s personal. That is why our top priority is to reach an agreement with Axia Women’s Health and to restore network access to the health system. We are committed to meeting with the health system as often as it takes to reach a new agreement. We urge Axia Women’s Health to meet us at the negotiation table to get a deal done.