Savin, who has stage 4 colon cancer, moved her treatment to Hopkins after other providers said they could no longer help. She chose the hospital for its expertise in colon cancer and access to clinical trials. At the time, Hopkins was in her UnitedHealthcare network.

The contract ended Aug. 25, 2025, taking Hopkins out of UnitedHealthcare’s network for patients in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The split initially affected an estimated 60,000 Hopkins patients. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida was not affected.

Savin said temporary continuity-of-care extensions allowed her to keep receiving treatment at in-network rates, but those extensions expired. Her family compared insurance options and decided that staying with UnitedHealthcare, using a plan with out-of-network benefits, was still the least costly choice.

Even so, she said, her deductible roughly tripled and the family’s overall expenses rose to nearly four times their previous year’s costs. The added expense has meant fewer outings and vacations. Her husband has considered finding another job with different insurance.

“I am here truly because of Hopkins,” Savin said.

The disagreement has continued for more than a year, with neither side announcing a resolution. Asked for an update, UnitedHealthcare said it had none to share. Hopkins also said it had no new information.

The two organizations have offered different accounts of what remains at issue. Hopkins has objected to contract terms it says could allow delays or denials of care. UnitedHealthcare has said Hopkins sought the ability to exclude patients based on their employer. Both sides have said payment rates were not the final sticking point.

The Maryland Insurance Administration said it received 31 complaints related to the split. Most involved patients losing access to trusted providers; others raised concerns about care after temporary continuity-of-care coverage ended. The agency said an early review found the split had a “minimal effect” on compliance with network adequacy standards, and that it continues informal discussions with both parties.

The agency has also taken two enforcement actions involving United-affiliated insurers. In one case, the insurers agreed to a $250,000 penalty and corrective steps after emergency-services claims were improperly processed. The agreement required a review and reprocessing of affected claims, with applicable interest, and said the insurers settled without admitting wrongdoing.

A separate order imposed a $125,000 penalty over the agency’s finding that United inadequately informed patients about continuity-of-care rights. United disputed the findings and requested a hearing, which the agency said is stayed while settlement talks continue. United said it believes the matter has been resolved and appreciates the agency’s engagement.

A study by Jason Buxbaum, an assistant professor at Brown University’s School of Public Health, and colleagues examined nearly 15,000 hospital-insurer relationships over four years. About 8% involved public threats to end network participation, and roughly 28% of those threats led to a hospital leaving a network. The study excluded Maryland hospitals because of the state’s distinctive hospital rate-setting system and did not measure how long network splits lasted.

Buxbaum said some disputes end within weeks or months, while others persist. In this case, he said, the prolonged separation raises the possibility that each organization believes it can operate without the other.

UnitedHealthcare says its regional network includes more than 120 hospitals, about 12,000 primary care physicians and more than 27,000 specialists, including MedStar Health, the University of Maryland Medical System, Inova Health and Privia Health. The insurer advises members seeking help to call the number on their health plan identification card.

As patients review coverage during open enrollment, Buxbaum and the Maryland Insurance Administration recommend checking whether specific doctors and hospitals participate in the exact plan being considered. Patients weighing out-of-network care should confirm what their plan pays and what they would owe; some plans provide no out-of-network coverage. The insurance administration also notes that employer plans can limit people’s choices.

Maryland’s new patient-protection law is intended to help people navigate future network disputes, but the administration said it does not apply to the 2025 Hopkins-UnitedHealthcare split.

Savin said her children understand that the family is making sacrifices to help her continue treatment. She hopes the people negotiating contracts keep patients’ needs in view.

“I hope that there are people that are the decision makers that aren’t looking at the bottom line, that aren’t looking at money, and really are trying to put the person first,” she said.