What a patient owes at North Kansas City Hospital now depends on which kind of UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan is in the wallet. The hospital, which goes by NKC Health, has been out of network with the insurer’s Medicare Advantage plans, AARP-branded ones included, since October 1.
The hospital’s advice is to talk to a broker about switching during Medicare’s annual enrollment period, which runs October 15 to December 7. Changes made in that period take effect January 1, 2027.
Four kinds of plan, four different bills
NKC Health’s coverage update, last updated in August, sorts the plans. Group Medicare Advantage plans, the kind employers sponsor, often have open access and cover out-of-network facilities. Those patients may keep seeing NKC Health after October 1, though the hospital tells them to check with UnitedHealthcare about out-of-pocket differences…