‘It’s like being ripped away from a family member,’ patient says about doctor loss

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WAUKESHA — Patients across Wisconsin are facing tough health care decisions after Ascension Wisconsin stopped accepting UnitedHealthcare insurance. The split, which took effect Oct. 1, has left many unsure whether to find a new doctor or switch insurance providers.

UnitedHealthcare released a statement Oct. 1, saying: "Despite repeated efforts to reach a compromise, Ascension Wisconsin (Ascension) has chosen to leave our network. Ascension refused our latest proposal, which would have continued to reimburse the health system at marketcompetitive rates, and declined another request to extend our contract to allow additional time to negotiate."

Ascension Wisconsin responded with its own statement: "As of October 1, 2025, Ascension Wisconsin is no longer ‘in-network’ with UnitedHealthcare’s Commercial, Medicare and Medicaid health insurance plans. Our decision to negotiate with UnitedHealthcare was driven by our commitment to ensuring that we can continue to offer the best possible care to our patients without compromising on quality. Despite several months of negotiations, we have not been able to secure an agreement that would provide fair terms for the vital healthcare services we provide United-Healthcare members at our facilities throughout Wisconsin."

Long-time doctor relationships disrupted

Melissa Custer, a Waukesha County resident, said the change will force her husband, Brad, to find a new doctor — after he’s been seeing someone since high school. His primary care provider, through Ascension, is now considered out of network.

"He liked his doctor because they had a good relationship. He listened to him and felt comfortable asking questions. That’s really important in a primary care provider," she said. "Brad will miss him, but it doesn’t make sense financially for us to stay."

For Kimberly Quartullo, the split between Ascension and UnitedHealthcare is far more than a financial issue, it’s deeply personal.

Quartullo, who is deaf, autistic, and has cerebral palsy, said she was first notified of the looming network change this summer via a letter from UnitedHealthcare. When she brought it up at her next doctor’s appointment, she was reassured.

"I found out, probably at the end of July, that this was going to happen by a letter from UnitedHealthcare," Quartullo said. "And I saw my doctor maybe 20 days later, about August 21, and I said, ‘What’s going on with this?’ ‘Don’t worry. Don’t worry, they’re going to come to an agreement and sign it. There’s not going to be any loss of care or anything.’" But when October arrived, the agreement still hadn’t materialized.

"It was October 1 I found out," she said. "I went to talk to my insurance. I got (a) very cold-hearted rep, which didn’t help the situation."

Quartullo said she had held out hope — "the seed of faith," as she called it — because of the bond she has with her doctor, who understands her unique needs and history.

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A decade-long search for care

"It took 10 years to find this doctor," she said. "She was with a different office, and I was able — because I had different insurance then … . She was one of the few people that knew my health completely, and she knew everything about me — my definition. Knew about my disabilities, like my autism and my cerebral palsy … . I felt so comfortable with her. I didn’t want to go with anybody else."

"It’s very hard for everybody to find the right doctor, because if you start trusting and forming a bond with the doctor, and then all of a sudden … it’s like being ripped away from a family member, or a bandage ripping off, because you don’t have that ability to reconnect."

Her trust in the health care system had already been deeply shaken by her husband’s medical experiences. Quartullo’s husband passed away in 2020 on her birthday.

"My husband died four years ago on my birthday," she said. "From the time he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2017, I started seeing a decline in how people treated him — more focused on money than his health."

She discovered her current doctor through her husband’s treatment journey.

"I said, ‘Honey, why don’t we go and get her? She would treat you wisely compared to what some of your other doctors are doing.’ And he was going to do the transfer himself. And then, after he passed away, 2022, I switched to UnitedHealthcare, and I found her — my doctor that I have now — again, and I’m like, I got to be with her."

Now, that connection is once again at risk. Her doctor is working to help her stay, recommending that she apply for a "continuity of care" exception, which could give her a few more months to transition or resolve the situation.

"She told me, ‘If you can get continuity of care, I’ll provide you two or three more months before you have to find somebody else,’" Quartullo said. "She doesn’t want me to lose her either."

But dealing with the insurance company hasn’t been easy.

"I just hope I don’t get another cold-hearted rep," she said.

Despite the uncertainty, Quartullo remains determined — and grateful for her doctor’s support. Despite the uncertainty, Quartullo is holding on to hope.

For Quartullo and many others, the split between Ascension and UnitedHealthcare isn’t just about paperwork or policies — it’s about real people, real relationships, and the importance of being seen, heard and cared for.