Rhode Island Patients Face Insurance Change

Nearly 2,000 Rhode Islanders face a major health insurance upheaval as their UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan becomes unusable at Brown University Health facilities starting July 1—due to a bitter standoff over payment rates and cumbersome prior authorizations. For patients like 83-year-old Dorothy Thomas, who’s been cared for by her same doctor for decades, the disruption is deeply unsettling. But there’s a lifeline: CMS has approved a special enrollment window through August 31, allowing affected enrollees to switch plans. Letters are on the way, and while this temporary fix helps, patients are urged to contact Medicare directly to secure uninterrupted care amid Rhode Island’s already strained healthcare workforce. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/a0e915cb8f7a88e7