SPRINGFIELD, Mass (WWLP) – United Healthcare recently announced they are dropping Trinity Health of New England.
As of July 1st, United Healthcare no longer includes Trinity Health within their network and local residents impacted by this change are worried.
“It’s shocking, it’s appalling, it’s scary” said Bonnie Nieroda of Agawam.
Many people under United Healthcare have their doctors through Trinity and one of their biggest concerns, prescriptions and medications.
Bonnie Neiroda explained, “We both do, we both have meds that we are going to need filled between now and then and it is a gamble whether or not your doctor will feel sorry for you from the past and allow you, but I don’t know if they legally can”
Edward Santini of Palmer said this is “also kind of a health risk if I end up in a situation where I can’t get the medications or I all of the sudden pay a lot more for it, that is going to definitely affect my life, my wife’s life.”
Some people 22News spoke to impacted by the problem have decades long relationships with their doctors, that they don’t want to lose”
Bonnie Neiroda explained the relationship she and her husband, Andrew have with their doctors, “Andy, like I said, has had his doctor for 40 years, I’ve had my doctor for 22, I’ve been with Trinity and now we don’t have doctors according to United Healthcare. We don’t have a hospital, we don’t have doctors, it’s insane.”
“You have a friend for 20 years, you lose them… I won’t be able to make another 20-year friend,” said Santini.
Both Santini and the Nierodas have been forced to try finding new doctors.
“When you are looking around for doctors, you know you are calling up, you say, this area is someone I want to see and then you try to schedule something and then they say they are not accepting new patients,” explained Santini.
The situation is also nerve-racking, financially, for the people involved.
“If something does happen and one of us had to go to a nearby hospital, we are going to end up paying part of it… or all of it,” said Bonnie and Andrew Nieorda.
It is unknown how many people are impacted by this situation, however, some are going to be able to navigate it better than others
Andrew Nieroda explains how others may be impacted, “and the other thing, that I feel bad for it the people that are in our age bracket that don’t have a vehicle that they can drive, that are just collecting their social security to live and they are going to end up paying out”
Bonnie added, “If they do or it is a death sentence, or I mean they could die, Andy, people are going to die because of what is going on.”
When we reached out to Trinity Health, they said a cooling-off period to provide in-network access will continue until August 31st.
If patients have further questions, they are encouraged to reach out to Trinity Health Care Directly.
Trinity Health Care Patient Line – 800-985-3059 or 860-263-0344
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