Medicare · Network changes
NYP and UHC contract: Medicare Advantage status and dates
Last reviewed October 12, 20267 min readBy the Goodsurance editorial team Reviewed by the Goodsurance editorial team
NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) is in network for most UnitedHealthcare (UHC) Medicare Advantage members through October 31, 2026. If there is no new deal by then, NYP may be out of network for most of these members starting November 1. Last checked October 12, 2026.
Where things stand now
Last checked October 12, 2026. We read the status pages that NYP and UnitedHealthcare post. We update this page when the date moves.
Does NYP take UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage right now? Yes, for most members. Both sides say NYP stays in network through October 31, 2026. Both pages were updated September 29, 2026.
What could happen next? If there is no new deal by October 31, NYP hospitals and NYP Medical Group practices may be out of network for most UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members starting November 1, 2026.
How each side puts it. NYP says the extension holds "while negotiations continue." UnitedHealthcare says it extended access while the two groups "finalize the terms of our new multi-year agreement." As of October 12, 2026, neither page says a new contract has been signed.
The short version
NYP is in network through October 31, 2026
This is true for most UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members. Both NYP and UnitedHealthcare say so.
November 1 is the date to watch
With no new deal, NYP hospitals and NYP Medical Group practices may be out of network that day.
Care already under way gets more time
Scheduled care that started before November 1 counts as in network until January 29, 2027.
Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7
A new plan you pick then starts January 1, 2027.
Every extension, with dates
The contract was set to end December 31, 2025. In late 2025, NYP's page said UnitedHealthcare would leave NYP out of its Medicare Advantage network starting January 1, 2026.
Since then, the end date has moved nine times. Each new date has covered most commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage members.
NYP's page shows only the current date. We confirmed each earlier date in saved copies of NYP's pages at the Internet Archive.
| Step | In network through | Where we confirmed it |
|---|---|---|
| Original end date | December 31, 2025 | NYP page, November and December 2025 (saved copies) |
| Extension 1 | January 31, 2026 | NYP pages, January 2026 (saved copies) |
| Extension 2 | March 31, 2026 | NYP page, February 2026 (saved copy) |
| Extension 3 | April 30, 2026 | NYP pages, April 2026 (saved copies) |
| Extension 4 | May 31, 2026 | NYP pages, May 2026 (saved copies) |
| Extension 5 | June 30, 2026 | NYP page, July 2026 (saved copy). It says July 1 is no longer the out of network date. |
| Extension 6 | July 31, 2026 | NYP page, July 2026 (saved copy) |
| Extension 7 | August 31, 2026 | NYP page, August 2026 (saved copy) |
| Extension 8 | September 30, 2026 | NYP page today. It says October 1 is no longer the out of network date. |
| Extension 9 (current) | October 31, 2026 | NYP and UnitedHealthcare pages, both updated September 29, 2026 |
Sources: nyp.org/unitedhealthcare and its plan pages (live, and saved copies at the Internet Archive), and uhc.com/nyp. Last checked October 12, 2026.
NYP and UnitedHealthcare, January 2026 to early 2027
With no new deal by October 31, 2026, NYP may be out of network for most UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members on November 1.
Which plans are affected
This page is about Medicare Advantage. But the same contract covers other UnitedHealthcare plans too. Here is the status of each one, from NYP's and UnitedHealthcare's pages. For any plan that is not Medicare, follow the link to NYP's page for that plan type.
| Your UnitedHealthcare plan | Through October 31, 2026 | From November 1, 2026, if there is no new deal |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare Advantage HMO or POS (you joined on your own) | In network | May be out of network. NYP says you may be able to switch plans. |
| Group Retiree PPO (from a former employer) | In network | Not affected, NYP says |
| Other group retiree plans, like a group HMO | In network | May have out of network benefits. Ask your former employer or plan sponsor. |
| Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) | In network (UnitedHealthcare lists it) | NYP pages do not say. Ask your plan. |
| AARP Medigap (Medicare Supplement) | Not affected | Not affected, NYP says |
| Employer plans, including Oxford | In network | May be out of network. See NYP's commercial plan page. |
| Medicaid plans | In network | May be out of network. See NYP's Medicaid page. |
| Essential Plan and NYSHIP Empire Plan | In network (UnitedHealthcare lists them) | NYP pages do not say. Ask your plan. |
| Individual and Family Plans, including Compass | Out of network since January 1, 2026 | Out of network |
Sources: nyp.org overview, Medicare Advantage, commercial, and Medicaid pages, and uhc.com/nyp, all updated September 29, 2026. Last checked October 12, 2026.
Which NYP hospitals and practices are affected
NYP lists these places as affected:
- NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, including its Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Allen Hospital, Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Lower Manhattan Hospital, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, and Westchester campuses
- NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital
- NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
- NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Groups (Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, Queens, Westchester)
- NewYork-Presbyterian The One and NewYork-Presbyterian/The Spiral
- NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health
- Gracie Square Hospital
- Lawrence Home Care of Westchester
- Main Street Radiology (commercial and Medicare Advantage members only)
- The Rogosin Institute
- The Silvercrest Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation
Your doctor may stay in network when the hospital does not. NYP says doctors with ColumbiaDoctors and Weill Cornell Medicine stay in network for now. But hospital services may not be in network starting November 1, 2026. That includes tests, lab work, procedures, surgery, and hospital stays.
If you are in the middle of treatment
NYP's page explains continuity of care. It lets some patients keep NYP care at in-network rates for a while after November 1.
Who it covers: most patients in an active course of treatment that starts before November 1, 2026. That can be care in the hospital or outside it. It includes care after surgery.
How long it lasts: scheduled visits and treatments count as in network until January 29, 2027. Starting January 30, 2027, visits that are not emergencies are out of network unless UnitedHealthcare approves them.
If you are pregnant: NYP says you stay in network for your whole pregnancy. That includes care after delivery, which may last more than 90 days.
Emergencies: Medicare says plans cover emergency care whether or not the hospital is in the plan's network.
Ask before you count on it. Call the UnitedHealthcare Member Services number on the back of your card. Ask if your care qualifies. If you have a visit set for after October 31, NYP suggests asking your care team about an earlier date.
Continuity of care, per NYP
Pregnant patients stay in network through the pregnancy and care after delivery. Source: nyp.org Medicare Advantage page, updated September 29, 2026.
Medicare's rules when a plan's network changes
A Medicare Advantage plan can add or drop doctors and hospitals at any time of year. Medicare sets rules for what the plan owes you when that happens.
Medicare's Special Enrollment Period rule does not name NYP or any one hospital. Whether this dispute qualifies you is up to Medicare. To ask, call 1-800-MEDICARE.
What Medicare says about network changes
Your plan can change its network
But it must protect you from gaps in care and make sure you can get the covered care you need.
Your plan should give you notice
Plans should try to give at least 30 days' notice when a provider leaves. They tell you if a doctor you see often is leaving.
You may get a Special Enrollment Period
If you are told of a big change in your plan's network, you may get a chance to switch. Medicare decides case by case. If you get one, you have 2 months to join or switch plans.
Worried about your health? Call Medicare
If a network change could break up your care and put your health at risk, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY: 1-877-486-2048.
Your chances to change plans
Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. Anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan then. You can also go back to Original Medicare. A change you make then starts January 1, 2027.
That timing matters here. If NYP leaves the network on November 1, a new plan you pick in Open Enrollment would not start until January 1. Care already under way may still count as in network in that gap, as explained above.
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 to March 31. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan then, you can switch to another one or go back to Original Medicare.
Before you switch, check that the doctors and hospitals you use are in the new plan's network. NYP's Medicare Advantage page lists the other Medicare plans it takes. It says not every plan is taken at every NYP location. If you are thinking about Original Medicare with a Medigap policy, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can explain your state's rules at no cost.
If your plan comes from a former employer, call that employer or your plan sponsor first. Your choices depend on that plan.
For every window in one place, see Medicare enrollment periods.
When you can change plans
A plan you pick in Open Enrollment starts January 1, 2027. It does not change the November 1 date.
How to check if a doctor or hospital is in network
Networks can change during the year, so check each time you book. Here is how.
For more on how networks work, see finding a doctor with Medicare.
How to check a network
Look in your plan's provider directory
UnitedHealthcare's directory is at uhc.com/find-a-doctor. Pick your plan so you see the right network.
Call the number on your plan card
Ask if the doctor, and the hospital they use, are in network on the date of your visit.
Ask the doctor's office when you book
Medicare says to check that a provider is still in your plan's network each time you schedule.
Use Medicare's Plan Finder in Open Enrollment
At Medicare.gov/plan-compare, compare plans in your area. Check each plan's network before you join.
Find an NYP doctor
NYP's doctor search is at doctors.nyp.org. It does not show your plan's network, so confirm with your plan.
Where to get help, and our news coverage
Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
SHIP: help with Medicare choices from your state, at no cost. Find your program at shiphelp.org.
UnitedHealthcare: call the Member Services number on the back of your plan card.
The two status pages: nyp.org/unitedhealthcare and uhc.com/nyp.
Our news stories: we wrote about this dispute on September 29, September 23, September 1, August 25, and August 19. Each story shows the dates that applied when it was written. This page has the current ones.
Common questions about Medicare
Quick answers, fast .
Tap any question to expand. Each links to a fuller standalone answer.
Does NewYork-Presbyterian accept UnitedHealthcare insurance?
As of October 12, 2026, yes for most UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage, employer, and Medicaid members, through October 31, 2026. NYP has been out of network for UnitedHealthcare Individual and Family Plans, including Compass, since January 1, 2026.
What happens if NYP and UnitedHealthcare do not reach a deal by October 31?
NYP hospitals and NYP Medical Group practices may be out of network for most UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members starting November 1, 2026. Care already under way may stay in network until January 29, 2027.
How many times has the NYP and UnitedHealthcare contract been extended?
Nine times since the original December 31, 2025 end date. The dates were January 31, March 31, April 30, May 31, June 30, July 31, August 31, September 30, and October 31, 2026.
I am in the middle of treatment at NYP. Am I still covered?
NYP says most patients whose treatment starts before November 1, 2026 keep scheduled care in network until January 29, 2027. Pregnant patients stay in network through delivery and care after it. Call the number on your plan card to confirm.
Is my AARP Medigap plan affected?
No. NYP says the change does not affect AARP Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies. It also says Group Retiree PPO plans are not affected.
Are ColumbiaDoctors and Weill Cornell doctors still in network?
NYP says they stay in network for now. But hospital services, like tests, surgery, and hospital stays, may not be in network starting November 1, 2026.
Does this dispute give me a Special Enrollment Period?
Maybe. Medicare may give one if you are told of a big change in your plan's network, and it decides case by case. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to ask.
Can I switch plans during Open Enrollment?
Yes. Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. A new plan you pick then starts January 1, 2027.
How do I find UnitedHealthcare in-network providers?
Use the directory at uhc.com/find-a-doctor and pick your plan. Or call the Member Services number on your card. Ask the doctor's office too when you book.
Why are hospitals leaving UnitedHealthcare networks?
NYP and UnitedHealthcare have not said in public what terms they disagree on. Other hospital systems have left Medicare Advantage networks in 2026; our news coverage tracks them.
References
- NewYork-Presbyterian: UnitedHealthcare in-network coverage changesOverview, status, and affected places. Updated September 29, 2026.
- NewYork-Presbyterian: Medicare Advantage plansMedicare Advantage status, continuity of care, pregnancy, and other Medicare plans NYP takes.
- NewYork-Presbyterian: Commercial health plansStatus for employer plans, including Oxford.
- NewYork-Presbyterian: Medicaid health plansStatus for Medicaid plans.
- UnitedHealthcare: Network negotiations with NewYork-PresbyterianThe plans the extension covers. Updated September 29, 2026.
- Internet Archive: saved copies of NYP's UnitedHealthcare pagesWhere we confirmed each earlier extension date.
- Medicare.gov: Understanding your Medicare Advantage plan's provider networkFact sheet: network changes, 30 days' notice, and emergency care. May 2026.
- Medicare.gov: Special Enrollment PeriodsThe network change rule, decided case by case.
- Medicare.gov: Joining a planOpen Enrollment and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment dates, and when coverage starts.
- Medicare.gov: Plan FinderCompare plans and their networks in your area.
- UnitedHealthcare: Find a doctorUnitedHealthcare's provider directory.
- SHIP National Technical Assistance Center: find your local SHIPMedicare counseling in every state, at no cost.