UF Health, United Healthcare fail to reach agreement early. UF Health is no longer online for United patients

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The deadline for UF Health and United Healthcare to reach an agreement on a new contract agreement passed Sunday without an agreement being reached.

That means UF Health is no longer a provider in network with United Healthcare.

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UF Health patient Abbie, who wanted to withhold her last name from publication for privacy reasons, told News4JAX that she relies on UF providers after having neck surgery there earlier this year.

“These doctors did a big operation, they did tricks. They know everything that happens to me,” he said.

Abbie said she was shocked to learn two weeks ago that an appointment she had scheduled for next month would be canceled because UF Health would not accept United Healthcare insurance after May 1. Sept.

“What shall I do?” he asked.

He told News4JAX that he has no money to pay out of pocket and does not want to find new providers.

“UF has given me the best care, and I don’t want to go anywhere else. Those doctors know me, they know my situation,” said Abbie. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I can’t. I trusted them a lot.”

UF Health Jacksonville is a safety net hospital, and Fitch Ratings reports that it had an operating loss of $83 million last year.

Meanwhile, UnitedHealth Group’s revenue has reached $22 billion by 2023.

UF Health released a statement Sunday after the deadline passed, which read in part:

Despite months of earnest negotiations in good faith for fair and reasonable rates for hospitals, physicians and other providers, as of September 1, United Healthcare is not including UF Health hospitals and physician groups in Gainesville , Jacksonville, and St. Johns from its website. This action prevents thousands of patients with commercial United Healthcare and Medicaid Managed Care plans from receiving compassionate, leading-edge care at UF Health locations in the tri-market and Medicare Advantage patients in the St. Louis area. Augustine.

“We are aware of the problems this causes for our patients and regardless of the results we continue to work hard with United Healthcare to find a solution. Our commitment to putting patients at the heart of our efforts is unwavering, and We have put in place measures to minimize any disruption to care as much as we can, but unfortunately United Healthcare doesn’t give us another option,” said Marvin Dewar, MD. , JD, chief executive officer of UF Health Physicians. “We even invited the leadership of United to meet us at the site to finalize the agreement but they refused. We continued to try to reach an agreement until the deadline but United insisted on linking other products to the negotiations and suddenly putting new conditions and changing the language on things that had already been agreed upon. . As a doctor, my job is to take care of my patients, and we did everything we could to avoid this situation.”

UF Health

To read the full UF Health statement, Click here.

On its website, United Healthcare shared the following statement:

University of Florida Health (UF Health) has gone online for enrollees in the following plans, effective September 1, 2024:

UF Health Psychiatric Hospital and UF Health Central Florida are under separate contracts and are not affected by our discussion. They continue to live on our network.

Only UF Health St. John’s – Flagler Hospital and its physicians are no longer affiliated with our Medicare Advantage plans as of Sept. 1

This communication does not apply to Medicare Advantage plans or our Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP) at other UF Health hospitals and service areas across the country, such as: UF Health Gainesville, Jacksonville, Leesburg or The Villages Regional Hospital. They continue to stay in-network with UnitedHealthcare for our Medicare Advantage plans on September 1 and beyond.

United Healthcare

To read United Healthcare’s full statement, including FAQs, Click here.

Earlier, United Healthcare had assured its members that some doctors and hospitals in the area would remain in the network, including:

• AdventHealth Palm Coast

• AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway

• Ascension St. Vincents Riverside

• Ascension St. Vincents Southside

• Baptist Medical Center

• Baptist Medical Center-Beach

• Baptist Medical Center-Nassau

• HCA Florida Memorial Hospital

• HCA Florida North Florida Hospital

• HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital

• Mayo Clinic Florida

• Wolfson Children’s Hospital”

Some patients may also qualify for continued care.

“Our top priority is making sure the Florida families we serve get the care they need. In the event UF Health leaves our network, UnitedHealthcare members who are in the middle of treatment with a UF Health provider can eligible for continuing care, which provides continued in-network benefits for a period of time after the hospital or physician leaves us. A few examples of patients who may be eligible include:

• Pregnant women.

• Patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent cancer, or who are currently undergoing cancer treatment.

• Transplant recipients who require ongoing care due to transplant-related complications.

• Members who have questions about continuity of care or other hospitals in their area should call the number on their health plan ID card.

• Members can also use the provider directory on myuhc.com to search for other hospitals in their area.

In an emergency, UnitedHealthcare members should go to the nearest hospital. Services will be provided on an in-network basis, regardless of the hospital’s network status.

United Healthcare

According to UF Health, it will continue to participate in the traditional Medicaid program but will have a partial provider agreement with the Medicaid Manager Care health plans listed on this information page.

For questions, people are asked to call UF Health at 352-265-8585 or toll-free at 1-855-834-7337, or visit this website for more information.

Baptist and Florida Blue

UF Health and United Healthcare aren’t the only ones struggling with contract negotiations that could affect thousands of patients.

Florida Blue, the state’s largest health insurer, may also soon be divested from Baptist Health if the two cannot negotiate a new deal. The deadline is September 30.

MORE | Florida Blue, Baptist Health has one month to negotiate a new contract

The two sides have been meeting since February but have not yet reached an agreement.

If the parties can’t reach an agreement before October, Baptist will be considered out of network for thousands of patients, making care unaffordable for many.

In a statement, Baptist Health said:

We continue to communicate honestly. We met with Florida Blue yesterday (Thursday) and at our request, Florida Blue agreed to add a third meeting in September to the two that were already scheduled.

Patients can find answers to their questions at baptistjax.com/florida-blue and at floridablue.com/negotiation/baptisthealthjax.