UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage insurer, insisted it’s in compliance with all rules from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The company said it’s engaged in good-faith negotiations with Bloomington-based HealthPartners, which runs Regions Hospital, as well as Duluth-based Essentia Health, which also has said it will go out-of-network next year.
“We continue to meet with both health systems and are actively exchanging proposals,” UnitedHealthcare said in a statement. “Our top priority is to reach an agreement that ensures continued, uninterrupted network access to these providers.”
Humana, another large Medicare Advantage insurer, said Wednesday it’s in the process of updating its online directory showing which health care providers will be in-network for 2025.
For North Memorial and four other health systems that have announced decisions to go out-of-network for Humana Medicare Advantage members, the network changes will take effect Jan. 1. Humana says that’s also the beginning of a second Medicare open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries, giving seniors the chance to change plans up until March 31.
The health insurers’ answers are not satisfying for seniors, said Joshua Haberman, owner of Alexander & Haberman, an insurance agency based in Bloomington.
