TTUHSC and Texas Tech Physicians Could Soon Drop UnitedHealthcare, Thousands Risk Losing Insurance Coverage

On Monday, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center along with Texas Tech Physicians announced that they had submitted a notice of termination for the Commercial and Medicare Advantage participation agreement with UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company.

That move could impact thousands of people in West Texas and the Panhandle

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech Physicians To Drop UnitedHealthcare

According to a press release on Monday, TTP is the clinical practice of TTUHSC. With the termination of UnitedHealthCare, more than 30,000 patients will lose in-network access to more than 700 TTP providers across West Texas and the Panhandle when the contract expires on March 31.

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The press release stated that negotiations have been ongoing for about a year and there hasn't been any resolution.

“Texas Tech Physicians opened discussions with UnitedHealthcare in early 2025 for the Amarillo, Lubbock and Permian Basin campuses as the rates within these agreements have not been updated in 13 years,” said Martin Clay, TTP Executive Director. “The decision to terminate is primarily due to disagreements over reimbursement rates amid the rising cost of patient care. Health care costs have risen significantly in the last 13 years while TTP’s reimbursement rates with UHC have remained constant.”

While a notice of termination has been issued, that doesn't mean it will actually happen. In fact, it could bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.

“when they came back and didn’t really give us, anywhere close to what we were asking for, that’s where we decided we got to, unfortunately, probably take this to a termination, because oftentimes in this industry, that’s what it takes to get, a health care payer to the, to the table to have a serious conversation,” said Clay.

If an agreement doesn't happen by March 31, TTUSC and TTP acknowledge that patients could be impacted in a negative way. And they urge patients to follow the on-going negotiations and news about them.