Lee Health is ending its hospital and physician contracts with UnitedHealthcare on 31 December, which puts every Lee Health hospital and doctor out of network on 1 January 2027 for affected employer, individual and Medicare Advantage plans

Lee Health is ending its hospital and physician contracts with UnitedHealthcare on 31 December 2026, the health system says in a patient notice on its own site, which means that from 1 January 2027 its hospitals and physicians will be out of network for affected UnitedHealthcare employer-based, individual and Medicare Advantage plans.

The announcement was made on Wednesday and was reported by Gulf Coast News.

Nothing changes for the rest of this year

Lee Health's notice states that its hospitals and physicians remain in network with UnitedHealthcare through 31 December 2026.

The health system is asking patients to keep scheduling and receiving care through the end of the year, and to keep any appointments, tests or procedures already booked before then. It says twice, in the notice and in its statement to the newsroom, that anyone who already has a Lee Health appointment scheduled in 2027 should not cancel it without first understanding the options available.

Anyone who would rather be seen sooner, while the current contract still runs, can call Lee Health on 239-481-4111 to ask whether an earlier appointment is available.

Continuity of Care runs through the insurer, not the hospital

Lee Health says some patients may qualify to keep seeing their Lee Health providers at in-network rates for a limited time through UnitedHealthcare's Continuity of Care process, or as otherwise required by law.

That application goes to UnitedHealthcare. Lee Health's instruction is to call the number on the back of the UnitedHealthcare insurance card as soon as possible to ask about Continuity of Care and how to apply.

Anyone in a course of treatment that crosses the new year is the person this route exists for.

What out-of-network will and will not mean

Patients whose plans carry out-of-network benefits may still be able to receive services from Lee Health hospitals and physicians after 1 January, the notice says, but it warns in the same sentence that they may face higher out-of-pocket costs or other coverage limitations.

Emergencies are treated separately. Lee Health's notice says anyone experiencing a medical emergency should go to the nearest emergency department, because federal law requires emergency care to be available regardless of whether the hospital is in the patient's insurance plan network.

For Medicare Advantage members, Lee Health points to Medicare Open Enrolment as the window in which other coverage can be reviewed. Patients on employer-sponsored insurance are directed to their human resources or benefits department.

What neither side has explained

Lee Health has not published a reason for the contracts ending beyond a statement given to Gulf Coast News and attributed to Selynto Anderson, its Chief Community Health and Impact Officer, that the decision was not made lightly, that Lee Health tried to avoid ending the agreements, and that ongoing challenges have not been addressed.

UnitedHealthcare has published nothing on the January 2027 date that this desk has found.

There is one related disagreement, and Lee Health raises it in its own notice: it says UnitedHealthcare has taken the position that Lee Health is not currently part of UnitedHealthcare Exchange or Marketplace plans. That is a separate matter from the contracts ending in December, and it is given here as Lee Health's account of the insurer's position.

Lee Health has opened a dedicated community information line for questions on 239-320-1234, and publishes a list of the commercial health plans it currently contracts with.