Essentia to stop accepting UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage [Video]

DULUTH, Minn. — Essential Health is planning to no longer serve as an in-network provider for Medicare Advantage plans administered by UnitedHealthcare and Humana, as of Jan. 1 2025. 

In a press release Tuesday, Essentia Health said it comes down to UnitedHealthcare and Humana delaying and denying approval of care at “more than twice the rate of other Medicare Advantage plans.” An estimated 20,000 patients will be impacted, including 14,000 in Minnesota. 

“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 Dr. Cathy Cantor, Essentia’s chief medical officer for population health in a press release. 

Cantor added that this decision was not “made lightly” and that because of frequent denials “this is the right thing to do for …