Johns Hopkins hospitals and doctors — including Hopkins Howard County Medical Center — are officially out-of-network for UnitedHealthcare patients. That’s a major shakeup for Columbia, where thousands rely on Hopkins providers for everything from primary care to cancer treatment. The breakdown followed months of failed contract talks, with each side blaming the other: Hopkins cited burdensome authorization processes, while United accused Hopkins of limiting access for certain employer plans.
For Columbia residents with UnitedHealthcare, the change means higher out-of-pocket costs unless they qualify for a “continuity of care” exception — a 90-day grace period for patients in ongoing treatment. But after that, they’ll need to find new doctors, and new-patient appointments can take months.
In a community already grappling with high housing and living costs, this is one more system working against affordability. It’s also a wake-up call about how fast your access to care can change — even at Columbia’s best-known hospital.
