UnitedHealthcare, Ballad Health sign new Medicare Advantage contract

UnitedHealthcare and Ballad Health have signed a new multi-year Medicare Advantage contract, preserving in-network access for UnitedHealthcare individual and group retiree MA members to the Johnson City, Tenn.-based health system, according to a Nov. 5 Ballad news release. The deal includes value-based measures tied to care quality and patient experience. It follows a 2025 lawsuit in which Ballad sought more than $65 million in damages, alleging UnitedHealthcare denied valid claims, delayed payments and overstated patient illness severity to boost reimbursements; UnitedHealthcare called the suit "a PR stunt." A federal judge dismissed the complaint in September, ruling the dispute belonged in arbitration under the contract's terms.