‘Greed on steroids:’ Locals worried after UF Health and United Healthcare fail to reach agreement

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Thousands of people are wondering if they can afford their medical bills after UF Health and United Healthcare failed to come to terms before Sunday’s deadline.

This is the second provider dropped by UF Health in a month. The other was Aetna in St Johns County. It means both Aetna and United Healthcare are now out of network for many services at UF Health.

One patient said enough is enough.

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“It’s almost like having my home pulled out from under me now because it is the home of my healthcare there,” St. Augustine resident Berilyn Thomas said.

Thomas received a letter in the mail saying UF Health St. Johns Flagler Hospital is no longer in network with United Healthcare Medicare Advantage.

According to UF Health, United Healthcare no longer covers UF Health physicians, hospitals, and other facilities for commercial and Medicaid managed care health plans in Gainesville and Jacksonville.

As of Sunday, Thomas will have to pay the full cost of healthcare services. But she said she needs her insurance now more than ever.

“I lost my ability to speak,” Thomas said.

She had a stroke in April after doctors discovered she had a tumor in her heart. Thomas had to have open heart surgery and has been in and out of the hospital since then.

Now, she says she feels lost without her insurance.

“It’s frightening and disappointing, and it’s like why they would do that to us?” Thomas said.

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The letter listed locations she could go in Palm Coast and Jacksonville. But Thomas said they all require long drives on I-95. She knows every second counts, especially when it involves a stroke.

“If I had been stuck in traffic, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now able to do this,” Thomas said.

Thomas isn’t the only one worried about the distance. Janice Kirkland and Judy Barndt are also concerned.

“If we have to call 9-1-1, what do we do, have them drive us an hour away when there’s a hospital 10 minutes down the street?” Barndt said.

In an update online, United Healthcare said UF Health sent a proposal on August 29th and included demands for a 30% price hike over two years. The company says UF Health’s proposal was not affordable or sustainable for Floridians and employers.

UF Health said in a news release, United offered UF Health commercial rates that are below general inflation and far below rising annual costs.

Now, Thomas and thousands of others are left with the short end of the stick.

“It really makes no sense – it’s like greed on steroids and it’s really sad,” Thomas said.

This negotiation does not impact Medicare advantage plans or United Healthcare’s Dual special needs plans at other UF Health hospitals and professional provider locations throughout the state.

Action News Jax Annette Gutierrez reached out to both UF Health and United and is still waiting for a response.

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