More home health providers sunset relationships with largest Medicare Advantage players

More home health providers sunset relationships with largest Medicare Advantage players 
Home Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 9/13/24 
Essentia Health--a regional nonprofit health system with a substantial home health arm--announced this week that it will no longer serve as an in-network provider for UnitedHealth Group. ... Dr. Cathy Cantor, Essentia’s chief medical officer for population health, said in a statement ... “The frequent denials and associated delays negatively impact our ability to provide the timely and appropriate care our patients deserve. This is the right thing to do for the people we are honored to serve.” Headquartered in Duluth [MN], Essentia Health provides care across Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. Its network includes about 15,000 employees, 14 hospitals, 78 clinics, six long-term care facilities, six assisted living and independent living facilities, and much more. It also has a robust home health and hospice business. The company has informed patients that it will no longer serve as an in-network provider for the above-mentioned MA payers beginning Jan. 1. ... Sanford Health, a health system based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, announced a similar plan this week.