Wellstar Health System and UnitedHealthcare have signed a new agreement after months in which Wellstar facilities were out-of-network for patients insured by UnitedHealthcare.

Negotiations broke down last year and on October 3, 2021, Wellstar Health System was no longer in the insurer’s network, after the two sides did not agree on a new contract.

The agreement was announced today in the following joint press release:

UnitedHealthcare and Wellstar Health System have reached a multi-year agreement that restores network access to Wellstar’s clinicians, hospitals, health parks and clinics for people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored, individual and Medicare Advantage plans, effective July 1, 2022. The agreement also expands access to Wellstar Clinical Partners, skilled nursing facilities, home health and hospice care.

UnitedHealthcare members can begin scheduling appointments with Wellstar today through MyChart or by calling their clinician’s office. For more information, call 770-956-STAR (7827).

“We know how important it is for patients to have local access to high-quality care from the doctors and hospitals they know and trust,” said Candice L. Saunders, President and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “This agreement will offer expanded access and more convenient options for patients with UnitedHealthcare insurance.”

“The care that Wellstar provides to our members is important and personal to them,” said Junior Harewood, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Georgia. “Our top priority throughout this negotiation has been ensuring the people and employers we’re honored to serve in Georgia have access to quality, more affordable health care, and this new agreement helps accomplish that goal.”

Wellstar’s mission is to enhance the health and well-being of every person they serve and provides access to compassionate, high-quality care to 1 in 6 Georgians through 10 hospitals, 300+ medical office locations, 9 cancer centers, 74 rehabilitation centers, 3 hospice facilities, 1 retirement village, 34 imaging centers, 18 urgent care locations and 5 health parks.

In Georgia, UnitedHealthcare serves nearly 1.2 million people through a network of more than 150 hospitals and nearly 35,000 physicians and other care providers.