Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System has finalized a new agreement with UnitedHealthcare allowing its urgent care, outpatient facilities and First Physicians Group healthcare providers to remain in-network with UHC's Medicare Advantage plan, according to a Dec. 29 report from the Herald-Tribune.
The two parties agreed to a one-year contract for UHC's Medicare Advantage plan and a three-year contract for UHC's employer-sponsored commercial plans.
The contracts went into effect on Jan. 1, according to the report. The original deadline for contract negotiations was Dec. 7, leaving some UHC plan members worried they would have to find new providers.
Roughly 20,000 Medicare Advantage customers were affected by the negotiations, and over the last two years, 28,000 people covered through UHC employer-sponsored policies sought care through Sarasota Memorial, according to the Herald-Tribune.