DULUTH — Essentia Health joined a growing number of health care providers announcing they will no longer accept certain Medicare Advantage insurance plans.
Essentia made the announcement in a Tuesday, Sept. 10, news release about plans administered by UnitedHealthcare and Humana.
The decision to end coverage as of Jan. 1 comes a little over a week after Sanford Health announced it would end its contract with Humana Medicare Advantage.
Both providers cited delays in accessing care and coverage denials as the reason for the decision.
In a Sept. 10 news release, Essentia said UHC and Humana delay and deny approval of care at more than twice the rate of other Medicare Advantage plans, placing an added strain on patients.
The release says people can choose an alternative insurance option during Medicare open enrollment, which begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7.
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