Private radiology practice says UnitedHealthcare ‘unwilling to compromise’ in contract negotiations

A Tennessee private radiology practice says UnitedHealthcare is “unwilling to compromise” in negotiations over a new contract. 

Chattanooga-based Tennessee Interventional and Imaging Associates recently disclosed details of the discussions, with the current agreement set to expire Jan. 1. About 10,000 individuals on Medicaid and dual-eligible plans administered by UnitedHealthcare stand to lose access to imaging, the Times Free Press reported Tuesday. 

Radiologist Andrew Hill, MD, told the newspaper the insurer refuses to reimburse for services in Chattanooga at the same rate as other communities such as Memphis and Nashville. This has put Tennessee Interventional and Imaging Associates at an “unnecessary disadvantage” when recruiting radiologists. 

“United has been far behind other payers we've worked with and, to date, really has been unwilling to compromise,” said Hill, who also is chief of radiology at Erlanger Health System. “We're really not trying to get ahead,” he added later. "We're just trying to catch up with other people in the country and even catch up with other people in our state.”

Tennessee Interventional and Imaging Associates has sent letters to patients warning of the forthcoming contract lapse. The practice—which was founded in 2013 and employs nearly 20 radiologists—said in the message it has faced “unreasonable denials of medically necessary services” and “unsustainable payment rates.” This has made it “impossible to continue participating under UnitedHealthcare’s terms.” 

UHC, the largest commercial payer in the U.S., reportedly delivered a new proposal to the practice on Monday, offering “meaningful rate increases,” according to the news outlet. 

"Our goal is to utilize the remaining several months on our contract to reach an agreement that provides continued, uninterrupted network access to TIIA," Ute Strand, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee, said in a statement to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. 

Tennessee Interventional and Imaging Associates is urging patients to let UHC “know you are unhappy that trusted providers like TIAA are leaving their network.” It also is suggesting individuals consider ditching UnitedHealthcare and selecting another in-network TennCare plan during the open enrollment period, which ends Thursday, July 31. 

The practice is relying on reimbursement reinforcements to help recruit amid a well-documented, national radiologist shortage. About one-fifth of its physicians now work from home, but TIAA needs help with on-site coverage. It services Erlanger Health and its hospitals and imaging centers in Chattanooga and Murphy, North Carolina, along with Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation, located in the same southeastern Tennessee community.

TIAA is currently hiring for hybrid, on-site and remote roles. The practice provides 24/7 coverage for multiple hospitals across the tri-state area encompassing Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia. It’s offering up to $500,000 for daytime, on-site positions, with productivity bonuses and CME allowances available, among other perks, according to a posting with Independent Radiology, a private practice job board launched last year by blogger and Texas physician Ben White, MD.  

TIAA joins numerous others who have experienced contract disputes with UnitedHealthcare, including its main hospital client. Erlanger Health had warned patients earlier this year that they could lose in-network access to its facilities, but the two sides reached an agreement ahead of an April deadline, the Free Press reported. Arizona-based Southwest Diagnostic Imaging similarly experienced a contract dispute with UHC, and the sides eventually inked a deal in April, nine months after SMIL said it had terminated the contract. 

Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, UHC parent company UnitedHealth Group reported Tuesday it expects to collect upward of $448 billion in revenue this year. The company is currently the subject of a federal probe into its Medicare Advantage business practices. On Tuesday, its Optum business unit—in partnership with Crystal Run Healthcare, a multispecialty physician group it acquired in 2023—announced plans to expand breast imaging services in New York state.