THE VILLAGES, Fla. – Thousands of The Villages Health patients insured through UnitedHealthcare may have to find new healthcare providers if a deal isn’t reached between CenterWell, a division of Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.
Back in September, when the CenterWell purchase was approved by the Bankruptcy Court, The Villages Health CEO, Bob Trinh sent out a message to patients saying they were expected to have continued access to their current health insurance provider following the closing of the sale.
However, negotiations are still underway between CenterWell and UnitedHealthcare.
[WATCH: What The Villages Health sale will mean for its patients]
Around 25,000 UnitedHealthcare members who received services from The Villages Health in the past year, according to UnitedHealthcare officials.
“I feel like we’ve been duped,” said Nancy Devlin, a Villages Health patient insured through UnitedHealthcare.
On Nov. 7, Villages Health CEO Bob Trinh notified patients that if CenterWell and UnitedHealthcare don’t reach an agreement, the healthcare system will no longer accept UHC plans starting January 1, 2026.
This comes after The Villages Health filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy to help deal with the more than $350 million owed to the federal government through Medicare overbilling.
CenterWell subsequently won the auction to purchase The Villages Health in September, paying $68 million in cash along with the assumption of any cure costs and liabilities.
Devlin has been researching alternative providers but says she cannot find comparable coverage to her current UHC plan. “My PCP is not in there and most of them I’m paying more money out of pocket,” she said.
Devlin said she’s worried about losing her doctors she’s been seeing for years.
“We trusted the Villages Health system, and we need to make it right and make it seamless,” Devin said.
[WATCH: Medicare uncertainty leaves The Villages Health patients feeling ‘duped’]
A Humana spokesperson sent News 6 a statement, which said:
“CenterWell Senior Primary Care has been engaged in discussions with UnitedHealthcare to retain The Villages Health as a participating network provider for patients in The Villages with UHC health plans. We are open to having further discussions and will work in good faith toward a new agreement. UHC health plans will be accepted at The Villages Health through December 31, 2025. If no agreement is reached, TVH will be unable to accept UHC plans starting January 1, 2026.”
News 6 also reached out to UnitedHealthcare. The company sent us a statement which said:
“We are engaged in good-faith negotiation and are frequently meeting with CenterWell. Our top priority is to reach a long-term agreement that maintains long-term access to CenterWell for 2026 and beyond for people enrolled in our Medicare Advantage and employer-sponsored commercial plans.”
Both healthcare organizations confirm that discussions are ongoing to resolve the situation before the current agreement expires at the end of 2025.
A spokesperson with UnitedHealthcare also told News 6 their contract had an expiration date at the end of year, and they have to reach an agreement that maintains continued network access on and after 1/1/26.
If no deal is reached, Medicare Advantage patients will be able to switch plans in January during an open enrollment period.