Boca Raton (Fla.) Regional Hospital, recently acquired by Miami-based Baptist Health South Florida, and UnitedHealthcare provided patients more information about their split that pushed 17,500 patients out of network.
In response to community concerns, the organizations offered more information to the South Florida Sun Sentinel on what the expired contract meant for UnitedHealthcare patients. The companies noted the contract that expired June 30 affected only an agreement UnitedHealthcare had with Boca Raton Regional Hospital, but not its agreements with physicians.
Therefore, UnitedHealthcare members can see physicians affiliated with Boca Raton Regional who are contracted with UnitedHealthcare at in-network prices. Those members, however, would not have coverage for procedures and tests completed at the hospital.
A contract between the organizations expired June 30, leaving 17,500 patients with UnitedHealthcare coverage tasked with finding another provider to avoid higher out-of-pocket expenses. The contracts in question concern UnitedHealthcare members with employer-sponsored, individual, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid policies.
BocaCare physicians, and Boca Raton Regional's urgent care centers, remain in network with UnitedHealthcare as of now. The two entities continue to negotiate, but no deal has been reached, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
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