UnitedHealthcare directory inaccurate amid open enrollment
Published 1:18 pm Friday, October 23, 2026
EVERETT — More than one week into Medicare Open Enrollment, UnitedHealthcare’s online directory inaccurately shows some local hospitals as in-network.
Beginning next year, some UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans will no longer be in-network at Providence locations in Washington and Oregon, the organizations announced in September.
Medicare open enrollment began Oct. 15 and lasts until Dec. 7. On Thursday, UnitedHealthcare’s provider directory still showed that Providence Regional Medical Center Everett and Swedish Edmonds were in-network.
In a statement Wednesday, UnitedHealthcare spokesperson Catherine Farrell said the insurance carrier planned to resolve the issue by the end of the week. On Friday, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett was removed from the list. Swedish Edmonds — and other Swedish facilities in the Seattle area — were still there.
According UnitedHealthcare’s website explaining the change, which was last updated Oct. 5, Swedish hospitals are included in the change and will be out of network beginning Jan. 1. In a Friday statement to The Daily Herald, Providence Swedish spokesperson Erika Hermanson confirmed that Swedish hospitals will be out of network next year.
UnitedHealthcare did not immediately respond to an additional request for comment Friday.
While UnitedHealthcare sent affected patients letters in September notifying them of the change, the online directory may cause confusion for people shopping for new Medicare Advantage plans.
“Upon discovery, our health system made the insurance and managed care company aware of this inaccuracy,” Providence Swedish spokesperson Ed Boyle said in a statement Tuesday. “Providence wants to acknowledge the unfortunate confusion and frustration for patients. We hope it is resolved expediently.”
On Oct. 1, Minnesota-based Fairview Health Services sued UnitedHealthcare, alleging the company was falsely advertising that Fairview hospitals would be in-network in 2027, court filings show. At the time of the filing, UnitedHealthcare’s directory showed Fairview hospitals as in-network, despite the two organizations failing to come to an agreement in June.
The network change affects patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans, as well as Medicare Advantage Group Retiree plans. It does not affect people on employer-sponsored commercial plans or patients enrolled in traditional Medicare.
Providence is encouraging UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members who want to continue care at Providence to contact their insurance adviser or American Senior Resources or go to providence.org/lp/wamt-medicare or swedish.org/lp/medicare. Any changes made during the open enrollment period will go into effect Jan. 1.
UnitedHealthcare members who are currently seeing a Providence provider for ongoing treatment for a serious or complex condition are eligible to continue care at in-network costs, according to UnitedHealthcare.
UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plan covers all emergency room visits as in-network. Patients should always go to their closest hospital for emergency care, the organization said.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
