UnitedHealthcare and NewYork-Presbyterian Medicare Advantage Network Dispute

Network Dispute and Potential Impact

• ⚠️ UnitedHealthcare may drop NewYork-Presbyterian from its Medicare Advantage network, potentially affecting thousands of members.
• 🗓️ An agreement must be reached within approximately two weeks, or members could face out-of-network costs or the need to find new care providers.

Patient Concerns and Worries

• 💔 An 81-year-old cancer survivor, Judith Lassaso, expressed deep concern about losing her current doctors and the prospect of starting over with new medical providers.
• 😥 She highlighted the emotional burden and stress associated with finding new doctors, especially while undergoing medical treatment.

Conflicting Statements and Next Steps

• 📢 NewYork-Presbyterian stated that UnitedHealthcare decided to exclude them from the Medicare Advantage network starting January 1st, 2026.
• 🤝 UnitedHealthcare claims they are still working towards an agreement that is affordable and maintains network access, but will assist members if the hospital leaves the network.
• ❓ The conflicting messages have left members like Lassaso in a state of uncertainty and anxiety regarding their future medical coverage.