Make the most out of your Medicare plan with these tips
Last fall, you may have been amongst the millions of Americans who made choices about their Medicare coverage, but being proactive about your coverage in care doesnโt end after enrollment. Learn more some of the many ways that you can and should get more from your Medicare benefits.
Houston Methodist and UnitedHealthcare back in-network after finalizing an agreement
HOUSTON โ Houston Methodist and UnitedHealthcare finalized an agreement that will ensure UnitedHealthcare members enrolled in employer-sponsored, individual and Medicare Advantage plans will continue to receive care at Houston Methodist hospitals and its physicians. The new agreement is effective June 1, meaning UnitedHealthcare members are currently in-network with all Houston Methodist hospitals and facilities. BACKGROUND: 100,000 patients could lose access to doctors at Houston Methodist hospitals due to insurance companyโs contract disputeโOur top priority throughout this process was ensuring the more than 1 million members weโre honored to serve in Houston have access to quality, affordable health care, and this new agreement accomplishes that goal. We appreciate Houston Methodistโs collaboration in helping achieve this outcome,โ UnitedHealthcare wrote on its website. โWe are honored to continue supporting the more than 3.9 million people throughout Texas who depend on us for access to quality and affordable health care.โThe previous contract expired on Jan. 1 and hundreds of thousands of people were left scrambling to find new doctors as a result of the dispute between the insurance company and the hospital system.
100,000 patients could lose access to doctors at Houston Methodist hospitals due to insurance companyโs contract dispute
HOUSTON โ A hundred-thousand people insured by UnitedHealthcare are scrambling to find new doctors and hospitals after the insurance company and Houston Methodist Hospital could not come to terms over reimbursement rates. The contract expired at midnight, meaning the seven Houston Methodist hospitals and its outpatient clinics are no longer in-network as of Jan. 1, 2020. "90%, probably more than that, of the doctors (in Baytown) are Methodist doctors," Thompson said. UnitedHealthcare released the following statement:โCare at Houston Methodist Hospital is significantly more expensive than care at other top-ranked hospitals in Texas as well as some of the most prestigious hospitals in the entire country. Unitedโs unfortunate decision โ and disruption to their membersโ in-network access to Houston Methodist -- is forcing employers and consumers to pick different health care options for this year.