A May 31 Deadline. 147,000 UnitedHealthcare Patients. And No Deal Announced Yet.
If you hold a UnitedHealthcare insurance plan and receive care at any BayCare Health System hospital, physician practice, or outpatient facility in the Tampa Bay area, a contract deadline is approaching on May 31, 2026 that could change your coverage as of June 1.
BayCare Health System — a nonprofit health system with 16 hospitals and hundreds of care locations serving Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Manatee counties — and UnitedHealthcare have been unable to reach a new contract agreement after months of negotiations. BayCare has publicly stated that its current agreement with UnitedHealthcare expires at the end of the day on May 31, 2026. If no new agreement is reached before that deadline, BayCare hospitals, physicians, services, and facilities will no longer be considered in-network for most UnitedHealthcare plans beginning June 1. Approximately 147,000 Florida UnitedHealthcare members who currently use BayCare facilities and providers could be affected.
Who BayCare Is and Why This Matters Across the Tampa Bay Region
BayCare is not a niche specialty provider or a regional hospital serving a small community. It is one of the largest nonprofit health systems in Florida and one of the largest private employers in West Central Florida, with more than 32,000 team members and a $10 billion annual economic impact in the state. Its 16 hospitals span the full Tampa Bay and central Florida footprint — including St. Joseph’s Hospital, Morton Plant Hospital, Mease Countryside Hospital, St. Anthony’s Hospital, Winter Haven Hospital, South Florida Baptist Hospital, and others across the region…