Dive Brief:
- Two Connecticut medical associations, the Fairfield County Medical Association and The Hartford County Medical Association, are suing UnitedHealthcare over the termination of more than 2,000 participating providers from its Medicare Advantage networks.
- The suit contends that the terminations violate not only Medicare regulations, but also UH's agreements with providers, as well as asserting that these actions will harm patients.by forcing them to change providers.
- The terminations, which will take effect in February 2014, will impact 2,250 physicians,including 810 primary care physicians and 1,440 specialists.
Dive Insight:
Whenever a health plan decides to make physician network cuts of this size, they'd best expect that doctors will push back. United's vague assertion that it's focusing on higher quality healthcare, however, does little to address the concerns of the suing medical societies. With the case catching the eye of Connecticut lawmakers, United had best have some good answers as to why it's (seemingly) gutting its network.