I am writing to address the failure of UnitedHealthcare and Johns Hopkins to reach an agreement for Hopkins to remain in UHC’s network (Johns Hopkins says UnitedHealthcare talks are over without return to network, Sept. 15, 2025). I am both a patient of Johns Hopkins and an employee of UHC. I am also insured by UHC. I would like these organizations to know how a patient feels when their care is upended.

My health care is complicated. Thirty-five years ago, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Johns Hopkins saved my life with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Health insurance saved my family from financial hardship as the various surgeries, tests and therapies were far too expensive to be paid for out of pocket. Later, I needed a pacemaker, then open-heart surgery, followed by heart failure, and then colon cancer. I see several different doctors regularly.

My bills are complicated too. I’ve struggled to keep track of every one I need to pay. Hospitals send one bill while the doctors there send another. I’ve been in collections and spent hours on the phone trying to understand why. Over time, I figured out I could simplify the administrative work of being sick by transitioning all my care to Hopkins’ system. It took years to figure out what worked.

It’s hard to be sick. It’s also hard to do the paperwork of being sick. But until recently, I felt like I’d found my way to a place where I could focus on my health.

Now, I am faced with anxiety and uncertainty over whether I will need to find new doctors, find a new job with new insurance, or just pay more to keep the care I want.

I am deeply grateful for the care and assistance I have received through our health system. But Johns Hopkins says their mission is to improve the health of the community and the world. UnitedHealthcare says their mission is to help people lead healthier lives.

I think both are failing. They are hurting thousands in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. Both organizations should be ashamed.

Michael Scally is an employee of UnitedHealthcare and a patient of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

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