KOCO BREAKING NEWS IS HAPPENING NOW STARTING TONIGHT WITH BREAKING NEWS. KOCO HAS CONFIRMED INTEGRIS AND UNITEDHEALTHCARE HAVE FAILED TO REACH A DEAL BY TODAY’S DEADLINE. THAT MEANS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WILL NOW HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER HOSPITAL TO GO TO FOR CARE. KOCO PATRICK TALBERT IS LIVE IN STUDIO TONIGHT WITH PATRICK. YOU’VE BEEN TALKING TO SOME IMPACTED AND YOU JUST HEARD FROM THE HOSPITAL, RIGHT? YEAH, THAT’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, CHANTELLE. INTEGRIS OFFICIALS TELLING ME IN PART, QUOTE, DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS, INTEGRIS HEALTH WILL BE OUT OF NETWORK WITH UNITEDHEALTHCARE AFTER TODAY. WE REGRET THAT UNITEDHEALTHCARE IS UNWILLING TO AGREE TO PROVISIONS THAT ALL OTHER PAYERS IN THIS MARKET HAVE ACCEPTED. AND BECAUSE OF THIS, THOUSANDS OF OKLAHOMANS ARE NOW WITHOUT HEALTH CARE COVERAGE AS UNITEDHEALTHCARE AND INTEGRIS FAILED TO REACH AN AGREEMENT BEFORE THEIR DEADLINE ON SATURDAY, INTEGRIS TELLING KOCO YESTERDAY THAT UNITEDHEALTHCARE POLICYHOLDERS MAKE UP MORE THAN HALF OF THEIR HOSPITAL’S MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM. WE SPOKE WITH SOMEONE YESTERDAY WHO SAYS LOSING THIS COVERAGE IS A NIGHTMARE. I HAVE CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE. I HAVE A-FIB, I HAVE AN ENLARGED HEART, AND MY MOM IS WAITING FOR HEART TRANSPLANT. SO FOR ME, THIS IS HEALTH CARE THAT I ABSOLUTELY NEED. AND THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM IS ARGUING THAT UHC PAYS UNDER 85% FOR THEIR AGREED COMMERCIAL PLAN RATES, WHICH THEY’RE SAYING IS THE LOWEST. IT ALSO SAYS THAT NEARLY 1500 DENIALS OR DOWNGRADES, ITS LOST ABOUT $5 MILLION. BUT UHC ARGUING THAT THE 20% PRICE HIKE THEY’RE ASKING FOR WOULD MAKE IT THE MOST EXPENSIVE HEALTH SYSTEM IN OKC, RAISING THE PRICE OF A C-SECTION BY ABOUT $2,500 AND AN MRI BY ABOUT $500. KOCO IS GOING TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING THIS STORY. I’M SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE TONIGHT ABOUT HOW THIS IS IMPACTING THEM, AND WE’LL HAV
Oklahomans lose health care coverage as INTEGRIS Health, United Healthcare fail to reach agreement
Integris and United Healthcare did not reach a deal by the deadline, leaving thousands of Oklahomans without healthcare coverage.
Updated: 6:07 PM CST Feb 7, 2026
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Thousands of Oklahomans are now without healthcare coverage after INTEGRIS Health and United Healthcare failed to reach an agreement by Saturday’s deadline, forcing many to find alternative hospitals for care.>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning NewsletterINTEGRIS Health informed KOCO 5 that United Healthcare policyholders constitute more than half of their hospital’s Medicare Advantage program. Affected individuals expressed concern over the loss of coverage. “I have congestive heart failure, I have a-fib, I have an enlarged heart, and my mom is waiting for a heart transplant. And so, for me, this is health care that I absolutely need,” said Shaun Pryor.The hospital system claims that United Healthcare pays under 85 percent for their agreed commercial plan rates, which they argue is the lowest. Additionally, INTEGRIS Health reports nearly 1,500 denials or downgrades, resulting in a loss of about $5 million.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.United Healthcare counters that the 20 percent price hike requested by INTEGRIS Health would make it the most expensive health system in Oklahoma City, increasing the price of a C-section by approximately $2,500 and an MRI by about $500.INTEGRIS officials released a statement about the impasse“Despite our best efforts, INTEGRIS Health will be out of network with UnitedHealthcare after Feb. 7, 2026. We were optimistic that we had mutually acceptable deal terms late Thursday night, but by Friday afternoon, UnitedHealthcare reversed course and withdrew from agreed-upon terms. We are open to continuing conversations with UnitedHealthcare, but for now, we are at an impasse. We know this dispute places an undue burden on hard-working families and businesses and is worrisome to our patients who are in the care of an INTEGRIS Health provider. We regret that UnitedHealthcare is unwilling to agree to provisions that all other payors in this market have accepted. The terms we are asking for help ensure INTEGRIS Health continues to provide access to care for all Oklahomans, recruits talented doctors, and sustains technological and medical advances that Oklahomans have come to expect from us. The termination affects INTEGRIS Health hospitals, ancillary services, employed physicians and joint venture partners, including McBride Orthopedic Hospital, Touchstone Radiology, Healthcare Partners, Oklahoma Center for Orthopaedic Multi-Specialty Surgery and INTEGRIS Health Community Hospitals. INTEGRIS Health remains committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care to all patients and will work to minimize disruption during this time. We recognize the importance of in-network access for UnitedHealthcare members and will continue working toward a resolution. Updates will be shared at integrishealth.org/united-negotiations,” officials said.Top HeadlinesMore bling for your buck? How lab-grown diamonds are changing the engagement gameIntegris Health and United Healthcare dispute leaves patients worried in Oklahoma CityOklahoma City police investigate double homicide in northwest OKCCall for Oklahoma medical marijuana recall sparks concern amongst growersWhy Mariah Carey was chosen to perform at the Olympic Opening Ceremony
Thousands of Oklahomans are now without healthcare coverage after INTEGRIS Health and United Healthcare failed to reach an agreement by Saturday’s deadline, forcing many to find alternative hospitals for care.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter
INTEGRIS Health informed KOCO 5 that United Healthcare policyholders constitute more than half of their hospital’s Medicare Advantage program.
Affected individuals expressed concern over the loss of coverage.
“I have congestive heart failure, I have a-fib, I have an enlarged heart, and my mom is waiting for a heart transplant. And so, for me, this is health care that I absolutely need,” said Shaun Pryor.
The hospital system claims that United Healthcare pays under 85 percent for their agreed commercial plan rates, which they argue is the lowest.
Additionally, INTEGRIS Health reports nearly 1,500 denials or downgrades, resulting in a loss of about $5 million.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
United Healthcare counters that the 20 percent price hike requested by INTEGRIS Health would make it the most expensive health system in Oklahoma City, increasing the price of a C-section by approximately $2,500 and an MRI by about $500.
INTEGRIS officials released a statement about the impasse
“Despite our best efforts, INTEGRIS Health will be out of network with UnitedHealthcare after Feb. 7, 2026. We were optimistic that we had mutually acceptable deal terms late Thursday night, but by Friday afternoon, UnitedHealthcare reversed course and withdrew from agreed-upon terms. We are open to continuing conversations with UnitedHealthcare, but for now, we are at an impasse.
We know this dispute places an undue burden on hard-working families and businesses and is worrisome to our patients who are in the care of an INTEGRIS Health provider. We regret that UnitedHealthcare is unwilling to agree to provisions that all other payors in this market have accepted. The terms we are asking for help ensure INTEGRIS Health continues to provide access to care for all Oklahomans, recruits talented doctors, and sustains technological and medical advances that Oklahomans have come to expect from us.
The termination affects INTEGRIS Health hospitals, ancillary services, employed physicians and joint venture partners, including McBride Orthopedic Hospital, Touchstone Radiology, Healthcare Partners, Oklahoma Center for Orthopaedic Multi-Specialty Surgery and INTEGRIS Health Community Hospitals.
INTEGRIS Health remains committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care to all patients and will work to minimize disruption during this time. We recognize the importance of in-network access for UnitedHealthcare members and will continue working toward a resolution. Updates will be shared at integrishealth.org/united-negotiations,” officials said.
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