<\/p>\n
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the top hospital in the nation for eye care, will remain in-network with United as part of a new deal between UHealth and the insurer.<\/p>\n
University of Miami Health System<\/p>\n
The University of Miami Health System and UnitedHealthcare have reached a deal that will let thousands of patients who are insured through United continue to receive in-network care with UHealth doctors. But seniors with a Medicare Advantage plan through Preferred Care Network, a United company, will be out-of-network starting in 2027.<\/p>\n
United and UHealth confirmed the agreement to the Herald early Friday afternoon. The new multi-year agreement will keep UHealth in-network for people who are part of United\u2019s network through an employer-sponsored commercial plan, Medicaid (United Healthcare Community Plan of Florida) or \u201cIndividual Family Plans\u201d purchased through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, also known as Obamacare.<\/p>\n
UHealth and United, whose parent company is UnitedHealth Group, have also reached an agreement for the private health system to remain in-network for Medicare Advantage members in Miami-Dade and Broward counties who are insured through Preferred Care Network through Dec. 31.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, UHealth will be out of network for our Preferred Care Network, beginning Jan. 1. We are informing members of this change now so they can make an informed decision regarding their health care needs over the next several months,\u201d United said in an email to the Herald. January is when open enrollment begins for Advantage plans.<\/p>\n
People with Medigap plans will still be able to receive care at UHealth, according to United.<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s deal secures in-network care for thousands of UHealth patients insured with United, the largest health insurer in the nation. The renewed multi-year contract goes into effect immediately for those with commercial, Medicaid or ACA plans, which means those United members will not see any changes to their care and will continue to get in-network care across UHealth, including at the renowned Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to continuing to serve families throughout South Florida who rely on us for access to quality, affordable care,\u201d United told the Herald in a Friday statement.<\/p>\n
UHealth had similar words Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re pleased to have reached a new agreement that ensures patients and their families can continue accessing the UHealth doctors, hospitals, and services they know and trust. Throughout the process, our priority has been to protect patient access, avoid disruptions in care, and keep high-quality care accessible,\u201d UHealth told the Miami Herald in a statement. \u201cWe appreciate that United saw the value of maintaining access to academic medicine for the thousands of patients who rely on us for their complex care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s deal was finalized in the final hours before a deadline that would have kicked UHealth off United\u2019s network. Last-minute negotiation breakthroughs are common with health insurance-related contracts. Health insurers and hospitals tend to keep their contracts confidential, but, judging from each party\u2019s previous comments, disagreements over reimbursement rates were a key issue throughout the negotiations.<\/p>\n
This is only the latest South Florida hospital-versus-health-insurer dispute to go public. Thousands of people insured through Florida Blue, one of the largest health insurers in the state, are still out-of-network at Broward\u2019s two public hospitals<\/a> due to stalled contract negotiations. Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System have accused Florida Blue of not paying them enough for care, while the health insurer is accusing them of wanting too much money. Negotiations in that dispute remain ongoing.<\/p>\n This story was originally published July 31, 2026 at 1:02 PM.<\/p>\n Michelle Marchante<\/a><\/p>\n Miami Herald<\/p>\n Michelle Marchante covers the pulse of healthcare in South Florida and also the City of Coral Gables. Before that, she covered the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, crime, education, entertainment and other topics in South Florida for the Herald as a breaking news reporter. She recently won first place in the health reporting category in the 2025 Sunshine State Awards for her coverage of Steward Health\u2019s bankruptcy. An investigative series about the abrupt closure of a Miami heart transplant program led Michelle and her colleagues to be recognized as finalists in two 2024 Florida Sunshine State Award categories. She also won second place in the 73rd annual Green Eyeshade Awards for her consumer-focused healthcare stories and was part of the team of reporters who won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for the Miami Herald\u2019s breaking news coverage of the Surfside building collapse. Michelle graduated with honors from Florida International University and was a 2025 National Press Foundation Covering Workplace Mental Health fellow and a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow.\u00a0
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