UHC looks to leave California exchange in 2017

Important information about UnitedHealthcare 2017 exchange plans

Next year UnitedHealthcare will offer individual plans through the Exchange in a limited number of states. This change in market footprint reflects our longstanding goal to offer products that are both affordable for consumers and financially sustainable for our company.

May 31, 2016 – UnitedHealthcare, Individual On-Exchange

As it was recently announced, UnitedHealthcare will only be participating in a handful of states for the individual ACA market in 2017. At this time, we have filed to offer On-Exchange products in Nevada (Health Plan of Nevada, Inc.), New York (UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.), and Virginia (UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, Inc.). Additionally, we have filed to offer Harken Health Insurance products on a limited basis in Florida, Georgia and Illinois. The individual On-Exchange products filed for 2017, listed above, may not be available in all service areas within the states referenced.

Current exchange members will remain covered until Dec. 31, 2016, as long as premium payments remain current and all other eligibility requirements are met. In markets where we will not participate in 2017, we will begin mailing letters to these members in the coming weeks. The letter will provide them with information on when they will be able to choose new plans for 2017.

Please note these changes do not affect other products within UnitedHealthcare’s Individual product portfolio.
We will continue to assess the viability of the products we offer on an annual basis, market-by-market, and will keep you informed of our approach as the ACA Exchange continues to evolve. We remain an advocate for more stable and sustainable approaches to serving this market and those who rely on it for care.

Covered California announcement

Update on UnitedHealthcare in California

UnitedHealthcare has decided to not participate in the individual marketplace in California in 2017. Covered California consumers that are currently enrolled in a UnitedHealthcare plan will continue to be covered by their current plan throughDecember 31, 2016. Any consumer currently enrolled with UnitedHealthcare will have an opportunity to select a new health plan during renewal and open enrollment this fall.

Covered California and UnitedHealthcare will send notifications to Agents and consumers this week making them aware of the change for 2017. Consumers have no reason to change to a different health plan now and can continue to utilize services to be applied to their annual deductible or maximum out of pocket limits throughout the remainder of the year.

Currently, Covered California consumers who have selected UnitedHealthcare for coverage in 2016 comprise less than one-tenth of a percent of all Covered California consumers. UnitedHealthcare currently serves limited areas of the state, primarily in Northern California. See table below. In the selected regions where UnitedHealthcare was added in 2016, consumers were provided at least 3 health plan options. Consumers in these regions will continue to have at least two plan options barring any changes or any new plans joining Covered California which will be announced in July.