Lee Health, the Fort Myers hospital system, says it will leave UnitedHealthcare’s networks on Jan. 1, 2027, including the Medicare Advantage network, unless the two sides sign a new contract first. UnitedHealthcare’s member page says Lee Health “intends to leave” its commercial and Medicare Advantage networks and notified the insurer in late August. Florida members who want a different plan for 2027 have until Dec. 7, because Medicare.gov says the plan must receive a request to join by that date for coverage to start Jan. 1.
Lee Health laid out its reasons in an open letter to patients, which Becker’s Hospital Review reported on Aug. 28. The system said the two organizations have “fundamentally different priorities” and said UnitedHealthcare’s authorization, review and denial processes threaten timely care. Lee Health put about one-third of its medical necessity denials on UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans, and it alleged that UnitedHealthcare owes it more than $100 million in disputed and underpaid claims…