DULUTH — As of Jan. 1, Essentia Health will no longer accept Medicare Advantage insurance plans administered by UnitedHealthcare and Humana due to excessive prior authorization requirements and denial of care, according to a news release.
Essentia Health said it has been notifying affected patients of the upcoming change of in-network providers.
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UHC and Humana delay and deny approval of care for Essentia patients at more than twice the rate of other Medicare Advantage plans, the news release said.
“This was not a decision we made lightly,” Dr. Cathy Cantor, Essentia’s chief medical officer for population health, said in the news release. “The frequent denials and associated delays negatively impact our ability to provide the timely and appropriate care our patients deserve. This is the right thing to do for the people we are honored to serve.”
Medicare open enrollment is Oct. 15 through Dec. 7.
Essentia encourages its patients to verify that any new plan is in-network to prevent gaps in care. Alternative in-network Medicare plan options include Medica, UCare, EssentiaCare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and North Dakota, HealthPartners, Security Health, traditional Medicare and Medicare supplemental plans.
Patients with questions are directed to call an Essentia representative at 800-985-4675 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday or 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Friday.
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