UNC Health and Cigna have not reached an agreement as of Monday, leaving Cigna subscribers facing "out of network" costs for UNC providers and hospitals.
UNC Health released a statement saying it has been "unable to reach a new, fair agreement with Cigna." The current contract between the two companies ended on Sunday night.
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"We urge patients to consider other insurance options if possible, and to contact Cigna by calling the number on the back of their member ID card," UNC Health said.
That leaves roughly 65,000 people across the state who need to make a decision for their health care. Cigna members who use UNC Health systems will need to find a new provider, or pay much higher, out-of-network prices, or choose to pay out of pocket entirely.
People like Becky Pezzoni, a cancer survivor, are in a bind. She credits her care team at UNC Rex with saving her life.
"God forbid something happens where it comes back," she said. "How do you make that decision between the hospital system that you literally trust with your life or the cost?"
Her employer provides health insurance benefits, but only through Cigna, and she's already gone through open enrollment for next year.
"What I learned is that if they have an exclusive agreement with a hospital, that's what throws you out of network. So I had them look up each one of my caregivers to see if they had that agreement, and they did," she said.
But those agreements expired when Cigna and UNC Health failed to reach a deal before the Dec. 1, 2025, deadline.
"I do a high-deductible plan," Pezzoni said. "I don't know if I should have made a different decision now that I'm going to be out of network if I stay with my doctor."
Changing providers, she said, is just as stressful.
"I'm pretty concerned about that," she told WRAL News on Monday citing "the stress of finding somebody and getting established and transferring your records."
Pezzoni is far from alone.
Beth Reid told WRAL News she is concerned for her children's health.
"One of my children has a long standing medical condition, and they've been seeing the same doctors at UNC since they were five," she said. "Literally, it's been a long time, and we've gotten, we built up a lot of trust with those physicians, and we really want to be able to keep seeing them."
She said she just wants to see an agreement reached before patients like her family get crushed in the middle
"No, it doesn’t seem fair," Reid said.
Cigna, UNC Health negotiations continue
Cigna released a statement on Monday saying that it has offered to extend the current contract with UNC.
"Our goal is to keep UNC Health in network, and we have offered to extend our current contract. We remain engaged in discussions with a goal of reaching a fair agreement for our customers and their families.”
WRAL began reporting on the negotiations earlier this year. In July, UNC Health told WRAL, “Unfortunately, Cigna is not willing to engage in meaningful discussion or commit to patient care that UNC Health requires.”
“All along, we’ve been negotiating with Cigna on a new agreement that’s consistent with our relationships with other insurance plans and supports the high-quality care that patients deserve. That remains our goal.”
WRAL emailed questions last week to Cigna about the status of negotiations, the barriers preventing a new contract and any guidance for users on continuity of care. Cigna responded saying, “Negotiations are moving forward in good faith with UNC Health to reach a fair and reasonable agreement for all.”
UNC Health sent letters to Cigna members days before the deadline, warning them of the changes that could be coming. According to the letter, UNC Health remains “committed to continuing negotiations and are hopeful Cigna will work with us to reach an agreement that puts patients first.”
According to UNC Health, “Certain patients – such as those who are hospitalized, pregnant, or undergoing an active course of treatment before Dec. 1 – may qualify for 'Continuity of Care' through Cigna for a limited time.” However, patients must contact Cigna directly to determine eligibility and submit the required forms to do so.
“We recognize that this situation is concerning and overwhelming for our patients," UNC Health said. "We will work closely with them to minimize any disruption in care.”
While Pezzoni completed her cancer treatment, the worry about a recurrence sticks in the back of her mind. "If I ever need them again, I would go back, but I can't go back to them now," she said of her cancer care team.
Meanwhile, she's got four prescription drugs she's not sure will renew at the expected cost.
"I feel like the patient got lost in all of this," she said.
She had a message for UNC and Cigna: "Remember who you serve. It's me."