UMMC and UnitedHealthcare agree to new multi-year relationship

Published on Wednesday, April 27, 2022

By: Marc Rolph, mrolph@umc.edu

The University of Mississippi Medical Center and UnitedHealthcare have reached an agreement on a new, multi-year network relationship. The agreement ensures Mississippians enrolled in UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored and Medicaid plans as well as the Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP, have continued access to quality, affordable care at UMMC’s statewide network of hospitals, clinics, physicians and other providers.

UMMC and UnitedHealthcare have also established a new network relationship that will give people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans long-term access to all UMMC facilities and providers for the first time, effective June 1.

“To reach our overall goal of a healthier state, we need assistance from strong, committed organizations that share our dedication to providing the health care services Mississippians need right here in their own state. With this new agreement and continued relationship with UnitedHealthcare, more Mississippians will be able to receive needed care. We are pleased to continue our agreement with UnitedHealthcare that benefits its members and our patients,” said Dr. Alan Jones, UMMC associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs.

“This agreement continues our longstanding relationship with UMMC and ensures the people in Mississippi we serve have uninterrupted access to quality care at an affordable cost, including with the state’s only Children’s Hospital and only organ transplant program,” said Stephen Wilson, UnitedHealthcare CEO, Mississippi commercial plans. “We are grateful for the collaborative relationships we share with care providers like UMMC who are committed to improving the quality and affordability of care.”

Located in Jackson, UMMC is the state’s only academic medical center with a tripartite mission of health science education, health care-related research and patient care. The mission supports the objectives of improving the health of the state’s population and eliminating health disparities.  

In Mississippi, UnitedHealthcare serves approximately 470,000 people enrolled in employer-sponsored, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans with a network of more than 120 hospitals and 13,000 physicians and other care providers statewide.