Carriers & the market
Fairview Health Services Sued UnitedHealthcare for Listing It as In-Network in 2027 Medicare Advantage Plans After Exiting the Contract
A Minneapolis health system says UnitedHealthcare's open enrollment materials pointed current members to a provider directory that still included Fairview even after the system ended its contract. The case raises questions about directory accuracy during the annual enrollment window.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamNovember 4, 2026
Fairview Health Services, a Minneapolis-based health system that sees roughly 33,000 UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage patients each year, filed a federal lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare in early October 2026, alleging false advertising in the insurer's 2027 Medicare Advantage plan materials.
Fairview says it decided in June 2026 not to renew its contract with UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, citing years of payment delays, low reimbursement rates, and coverage denials. Despite that decision, UnitedHealthcare's Annual Notice of Change, which the insurer mails to current enrollees in the weeks before open enrollment opens, reportedly directed members to an online provider directory that still listed Fairview as in-network for 2027.
If your Medicare Advantage open enrollment notice listed a hospital that already left the network, a new lawsuit says that is exactly the problem.
In a September meeting held before the suit was filed, Fairview said it asked UnitedHealthcare to confirm that the health system would not appear in its 2027 directories. According to the complaint, UnitedHealthcare "reacted to this question with surprise and was not able to provide an answer."
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Minnesota, seeks a temporary restraining order, any profits UnitedHealthcare earned from Fairview patients who chose a 2027 plan based on the allegedly false listing, and costs Fairview incurred notifying affected patients.
Medicare open enrollment for 2027 plans runs through December 7, 2026. Beneficiaries can verify provider networks and compare plans at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
In plain words
A big hospital in Minneapolis called Fairview said in June that it was leaving UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. But UnitedHealthcare kept Fairview on its list of in-network hospitals in materials sent to members during open enrollment. Fairview filed a lawsuit in October saying that was false and could mislead patients picking plans. About 33,000 people go to Fairview every year using a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan. If you are one of them, check your plan's provider directory before you finalize your 2027 coverage. Open enrollment ends December 7, 2026.
Understand the basics first
Source: Becker's Hospital Review
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