About 2,300 St. Paul Public Schools retirees will be directly affected by HealthPartners’ decision next year to drop out of UnitedHealthCare’s network of Medicare Advantage plans for seniors.
In a statement to the Star Tribune, the school district said it was working with its insurance company to “identify potential next steps” but did not elaborate on what options might be available.
The changes mean seniors enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans will likely see a big increase in their out-of-pocket costs next year if they visit doctors, clinics and hospitals in the HealthPartners network.
The Bloomington-based health system has a particularly strong presence in the East Metropolitan region, including Regions Hospital in St. Paul and Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater.
“St. Paul Public Schools had no prior knowledge of the retiree communications,” the district said in a statement. “Once more information is available, the district will contact affected retirees about their options.”
In a letter sent to about 30,000 affected patients, HealthPartners alleged that UnitedHealthcare has had disproportionately high rates of coverage denials and late payments for services used by seniors. UnitedHealthcare said the denial claims were wild and unfounded. The company also said there is still time to reach an agreement that would keep HealthPartners in its network through 2025.
Denise Rodriguez, past president of the St. Paul Federation of Educators, said she and her fellow retirees have experienced many delays and denials since the district moved its retiree health insurance to UnitedHealthcare several years ago.
“It was very frustrating,” Rodriguez said.
Now she’s faced with a dilemma: what to do next year, because she’s been going to HealthPartners Clinic for decades and wants to keep going. As a retiree, her Medicare Advantage plan is subsidized by St. Paul Public Schools, but if she leaves UnitedHealthcare, she says, those subsidies will go away.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
