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Access to Care

Preserving Your Access to Trusted Care

Thank you for trusting Baptist Health Deaconess for your healthcare needs. We want to provide you with an update on our work to preserve your in-network access to the Baptist Health Deaconess providers and services you know and trust.

We have been working for several months to secure a new contract with UnitedHealthcare, but we have not made as much progress as we had hoped. Unless we reach an agreement soon, Baptist Health Deaconess hospitals, outpatient clinics and Baptist Health Deaconess Medical Group practices will be out of network with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans after December 31, 2023.

Additionally, we have been working for several months to secure a new contract with WellCare, but we have not made as much progress as we had hoped. Unless we reach an agreement soon, Baptist Health Deaconess hospitals, outpatient clinics and Baptist Health Deaconess Medical Group practices will be out of network with WellCare Medicare Advantage plans after December 31, 2023.

For patients with Medicare Advantage, the Annual Enrollment Period is October 15 through December 7, 2023. During that time, you may have the ability to choose an alternative insurance plan for your coverage beginning in 2024. For a list of Medicare Advantage plans Baptist Health Deaconess accepts, download a PDF version of our status chart.
 
We are committed to keeping you informed about our progress. To that end, we are providing answers to some Frequently Asked Questions.
 

FAQ

What is happening?

We have been working for several months to secure a new contract with UnitedHealthcare. Unless we reach an agreement soon, Baptist Health Deaconess hospitals, outpatient clinics and Baptist Health Deaconess Medical Group practices will be out of network with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans after December 31, 2023.
 
We wanted to inform you right away so you can be thinking about the Medicare Advantage plan that is right for you in 2024.

What are you hoping to accomplish with a new contract? What are you asking for?
What do I do if I want to continue receiving in-network care from Baptist Health Deaconess?
Which Baptist facilities will be affected?
Should I go ahead with my upcoming appointments?
What if I need to schedule an appointment into 2024?
How can I guarantee my in-network access to Baptist Health Deaconess after December 31, 2023?
How long can we expect this to last?
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