Johns Hopkins Medicine and UnitedHealthcare have less than a month to reach an agreement before the insurance company considers the medical organization out-of-network.

If the two can’t reach a deal, it could impact 60,000 patients in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia who are on UHC plans and use JHU for medical services.

The organizations have until the end of Aug. 24 to reach a deal. Without one, starting on Aug. 25 UHC employee sponsored health plans, individual plans, Medicare plans and Medicaid plans will stop covering Johns Hopkins facilities.

“Our top priority is to reach an agreement that maintains continued, uninterrupted network access to Johns Hopkins,” said Joseph Ochipinti, UnitedHealthcare CEO, Mid-Atlantic region. “Our negotiation isn’t about money. We’ve reached agreement on financial terms and offered continued support to help Johns Hopkins more effectively manage the operational aspects of our relationship. However, Johns Hopkins is requiring contractual provisions that would negatively impact members and employers, allowing them to turn patients away at their discretion. We will remain at the negotiating table as long as it takes to renew our relationship.”

If UHC stops covering Johns Hopkins facilities, there are a few loopholes for patients. People in active or ongoing treatment for serious or complex conditions may apply for a continuation of care to finish their treatment.

In 2022, Hopkins and CareFirst took their negotiations to the brink in negotiating terms for physician rates and surgery centers.

That contract dispute could have put hundreds of thousands of people out-of-network who used Johns Hopkins facilities.

The two ended up reaching a deal in the eleventh hour.