Optum WA cuts care for more than 23K Medicaid patients

EVERETT — At least 23,000 Medicaid patients are set to lose care access at more than 30 Optum clinics statewide this fall.

Starting Nov. 1, Optum Care Washington — a local branch of the global health care system that absorbed The Everett Clinic and The Polyclinic in Seattle — will drop primary and specialty care for patients with certain plans under Medicaid, the state insurance for low-income patients also known as Apple Health.

Almost 2 million Washington residents — about 21% of the state’s population — are enrolled in Apple Health. Last year, at least 40,000 enrollees lived in Snohomish County.

As of this week, Optum stopped accepting new adult patients with general Apple Health and UnitedHealthcare Community plans. On Nov. 1, Optum will cut the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan as well as almost all care for patients under Molina Healthcare and the Community Health Plan of Washington, save for oncology appointments, confirmed Karrie Spitzer, a spokesperson for Optum Care Washington.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/optum-care-washington-cuts-care-for-more-than-23000-medicaid-patients/