Essentia Health Joins Ranks of Health Systems Ending MA Contracts
Healthcare Innovation September 11, 2024
“Like many other health systems, we have been re-evaluating our participation in Medicare Advantage plans that place added strain on our patients by too often denying or delaying their care,” said Cathy Cantor, M.D., M.B.A., Essentia’s chief medical officer for population health
The trend of health systems ending relationships with Medicare Advantage plans continues, with Essentia Health informing patients that, due to excessive prior authorization requirements and denial of care, it will no longer will serve as an in-network provider for Medicare Advantage plans administered by UnitedHealthcare (UHC) and Humana, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health is an integrated health system with 14 hospitals serving patients in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. It says that UHC and Humana...