About 66,000 patients with UnitedHealthcare coverage could lose in-network access to Legacy Health hospitals and clinics on Oct. 1 if the health system and insurer do not reach a new contract.
Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center in Tualatin, the closest major hospital to Beaverton, is among the facilities that would go out of network.
Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and Randall Children's Hospital in North Portland, Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Northwest Portland and Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham would also be affected.
Legacy issued a formal termination notice to UnitedHealthcare on Aug. 17, Hoodline reported, to prevent the contract from automatically renewing at current rates.
The Oregonian reported that the deadline to reach a new deal is Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Who is affected
The dispute touches Oregonians and Vancouver-area residents who get UnitedHealthcare coverage through an employer, buy their own plan or are enrolled in Medicare Advantage.
Medicaid members in southwest Washington covered by UnitedHealthcare are also affected.
UnitedHealthcare is Legacy's second-largest payer, behind Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon.
What's driving the dispute
Legacy officials told The Oregonian the system's expenses have jumped 50% since 2021 because of inflation and higher labor and supply costs.
UnitedHealthcare increased its payments in 2024 and 2025, but Legacy said the raises did not close the gap.
Merrin Permut, Legacy's vice president and chief population health officer, told The Oregonian the system is seeking a "fair, reasonable increase" over the next two years.
Legacy has not disclosed the dollar amount it is requesting.
UnitedHealthcare spokesperson Catherine Farrell told The Oregonian that the insurer's "top priority is to reach an agreement that is affordable for consumers and employers while providing continued, uninterrupted network access to Legacy's hospitals and providers."
UnitedHealthcare officials declined to discuss specific rates but told the newspaper talks are continuing ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline.
What patients should know
Emergency care at Legacy facilities would still be covered at in-network rates regardless of the contract's status.
Patients receiving cancer treatment or pregnancy-related care could temporarily continue seeing Legacy providers at in-network rates with UnitedHealthcare's approval, Permut told The Oregonian.
Hoodline reported that patients receiving other forms of ongoing treatment may also qualify for temporary in-network rates.
Oregon law also protects patients undergoing active treatment for serious or complex conditions during a contract termination, requiring insurers to provide continuity-of-care access.
Legacy Silverton Medical Center and several mid-Willamette Valley clinics operate under a separate UnitedHealthcare contract and would remain in network.
A pattern of contract fights
The standoff follows a similar dispute earlier in 2026, when Legacy briefly went out of network with Regence BlueCross BlueShield, its largest payer.
That monthlong gap affected roughly 150,000 Regence members before a deal was reached. In 2025, more than 74,000 patients faced losing in-network access to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) before UnitedHealthcare and OHSU struck a last-minute agreement.
Negotiations between Legacy and UnitedHealthcare continue through Sept. 30.
