The Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) is switching some retirees from UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage to Humana Medicare Advantage, but members should retain in-network access to Montrose Regional Health (MRH).
MRH says it has worked with PERA and Humana to ensure affected PERACare members will continue to receive in-network rates, despite MRH’s decision to stop participating in Humana’s Medicare Advantage network last October.
Montrose Regional Health eliminated over 70 positions earlier this week as it tries to reconcile its budget crisis. In an email obtained by KVNF, the company also says that it’s been pursuing other cost-cutting measures.
Included in those efforts was the decision to drop Humana Medicare Advantage Plans in October of last year. In a press release, MRH stated that “The decision follows ongoing challenges that have affected both patient care and hospital operations, including long waits for authorizations, denials of medically necessary services, and significant delays in payment for care already provided.” The press release also states that MRH absorbed more than $1.5 million in unpaid or underpaid claims tied to Medicare Advantage plans in the several years leading up to the decision.
During public comment at Monday’s Montrose County Commission meeting, former commissioner Ron Henderson said that members of the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association were being switched to the Humana plan that is no longer accepted by MRH. The PERA website confirms that individuals covered by UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage would be automatically switched to Humana Medicare Advantage.
However, KVNF has since confirmed that there will be no impact on PERA recipients.
MRH says it has worked with both PERA and Humana to ensure that "PERACare Humana Medicare Advantage members will continue to receive in-network rates at MRH, even though MRH is not participating in Humana's Medicare Advantage network."
Correction: An earlier version of this article did not include the context that PERACare Humana Medicare Advantage members will continue to receive in-network rates at MRH.
The title and body of this article have been updated accordingly.
You can view information at https://montrosehealth.com/peracare-and-humana-medicare-advantage/
