UnitedHealthcare withdrawals from Louisiana and Iowa insurance marketplaces

Having already stated they would withdraw from the Tennessee and Arizona insurance market, leaving many rural patients uninsured, UnitedHealthcare announced they will also leave the Iowa market as well as having changed their insurance policy with Ochsner healthcare in Louisiana.

“United will quit selling on the Health Insurance Marketplace policies at the end of this year,” reports WWLTV on the situation in Louisiana. “The 29,000 people in Louisiana who have that policy can continue going to their doctors through December, but for 2017 many will be moved to the Medicaid expansion, others can sign up for Obamacare through Vantage, BCBS or Humana, but for the 3,000 who are using Ochsner, that in-network policy will end May 15.”

UnitedHealthcare also announced it would no longer sell subsidized insurance plans in Iowa for 2017 after one year of participation in the state, reports The Gazette.

“We’re obviously disappointed about UnitedHealthcare’s decision as thousands of Iowans are now forced to make changes,” said Iowa Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart. “However, we understand that the company’s decision to withdraw is a business decision. The decision seems more national in scope, but thankfully we anticipate having other offerings around the state.”

UnitedHealthcare offered one of the lowest cost silver plans in 71 of the 76 Iowa counties where 55,000 people are enrolled. This decision directly affects those 8,700 insured by UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands and 328 individuals insured by UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Co.