Retiree Concerns for HealthPartners & United Healthcare Contract Agreement

January 10, 2025 update

United Healthcare confirmed HealthPartners will remain an in-network provider for UHC Premier and Standard Medicare Advantage plans at least through the end of 2026.UHC also confirmed Ramsey County can offer the Senior Supplement with Prescription Drug plan for plan year 2026.  

With confirmation from UHC that retiree access to HealthPartners providers will continue through 2026 and Ramsey County can continue providing the Senior Supplemental plan for 2026, Ramsey County will not be requesting proposals for new retiree medical plans for 2026. Ramsey County Human Resources will request proposals for new retiree medical insurance for plan year 2027.

Remember

The County extended a one-time exception to Retirees who left the county’s retiree insurance program in 2025 that allows retirees to return to any of the 3 UHC medical plans at any time during 2025 or for 2026.  Retirees who want to return to one of the 3 UHC plans must do so by 1/1/2026.

Please use [email protected] to contact Ramsey County Human Resources regarding these updates. 

Nov 11, 2024 update

HealthPartners and United Healthcare as well as Essentia Health and United Healthcare reached agreements that keep those clinics and hospitals as in-network providers for United Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage Network. This means Ramsey County retirees who currently utilize HealthPartners and Essentia Health providers will continue to have access to their providers if they elect one of the UHC Medicare Advantage Plans for 2025.

Retirees who returned their 2025 enrollment form selecting to move to the Senior supplement plan or waiving medical coverage with the County for 2025 will be contacted by a Human Resources Benefits team member regarding whether they choose to return to one of the UHC Medicare Advantage plans effective January 1, 2025. Retirees can also confirm their 2025 benefit elections by emailing Human Resources at [email protected].

Retirees who leave the county medical program in 2025 will be allowed to return during 2025 or for 2026. This is a one-time exception afforded to retirees by Ramsey County.

Retirees who did not return an enrollment form will remain enrolled in the same UHC Premier or Standard plan for 2025. All retirees will receive a confirmation statement in early December that shows elected plan enrollment for 2025 and offers the opportunity to respond with corrections if needed.

Retirees who enrolled in a plan outside Ramsey County who wish to retract that will need to reach out to that broker or agency directly to do so as dual enrollment in Medicare supplement or Advantage plans is not allowed.

If you returned a form making changes to dental plans only, we will honor those elections, and you will not need to contact us again regarding those changes for 2025.

Open enrollment deadline extended

Please know the deadline for making changes to elections extends beyond the previous open enrollment end date of Nov. 11, 2024. We will continue to accept plan changes through Nov. 29, 2024.