A critical deadline is near over access to health care for cancer patients from the Hudson Valley. It stems from contract negotiations between UnitedHealthcare and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Leaders with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center say if a deal isn't made, MSK will become out of network for thousands of patients that fall under UnitedHealthcare starting midnight Tuesday.

"Our top priority is to reach an agreement with MSK that is affordable for consumers and employers," said UnitedHealthcare in a statement.

The statement adds, MSK's proposal would increase health care costs by more than $400 million and directly impact self-insured employers.

"We have better outcomes for our patients. They're living longer and we do that by driving down the total cost of care by about 4 to 16%," says Dr. Cardinale Smith, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's chief medical officer.

MSK tells News 12 it is asking for fair compensation.

"Unfortunately over the last several years, UnitedHealthcare has significantly underpaid MSK while the cost to deliver that high quality cancer care has just skyrocketed, we're just really asking for those rates to account for the work we're actually doing." says Dr. Smith.

Residents around Westchester County say enough is enough.

"It's awful what's going on," says Yonkers resident Tavis Francis.

They hope an agreement can be reached soon.

"People are really going to be hurting and people are going to get desperate," says Francis.

You can read more about what this all means for patients and the next steps from both UnitedHealthcare and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center below.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: https://www.mskcc.org/insurance-assistance/insurance-information/msk-unitedhealthcare-contract-negotiations

Statement from MSK:

“For people with cancer, there’s nothing more important than being able to see their doctor without interruption. UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is putting the care of 19,000 patients with cancer at risk by refusing to agree to a sustainable agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). We deliver care that helps patients live longer, at lower overall costs, but MSK remains significantly underpaid by UHC – a pattern we’ve seen from UHC in their negotiations with other health systems across the country. We’re doing everything we can to protect our patients, and we urge UHC to prioritize the lives of people with cancer.”

UnitedHealthcare: https://www.uhc.com/msk

Statement from UHC:

"Our top priority is to reach an agreement with MSK that is affordable for consumers and employers. We have proposed substantial rate increases that would continue to reimburse MSK at levels significantly higher than other National Cancer Institute-designated health systems in the New York City metro area. Unfortunately, MSK is demanding an approximate 30% price hike on average for its hospitals and physicians, including a 36% rate increase at MSKCC. MSK's proposal would increase health care costs by more than $400 million and directly impact self-insured employers. We will remain at the negotiating table as long as it takes to renew our relationship with MSK. We ask MSK to join us there and provide a proposal people and employers can afford."