University of Florida Health now participating in UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage Network

University of Florida Health and UnitedHealthcare have established a new network relationship, giving people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans access to UF Health’s 10 hospitals and more than 2,200 faculty and community physicians for the first time.

The multiyear agreement, which went into effect on Oct. 1, helps provide UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members with enhanced access to quality and more affordable care — and gives seniors a new option as they choose which health plan best meets their health care needs during the current Medicare open enrollment period.

“We're delighted to offer UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members access to the outstanding care and deep commitment to patients that makes UF Health a perennial leader in Florida health care,” said UF Health Shands CEO Ed Jimenez. “Our focus on quality care is part of the fabric of who we are. We believe it's important to be a participating provider for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans.”

In Florida, UnitedHealthcare serves nearly 1.2 million people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans with a network of more than 240 hospitals and approximately 74,000 physicians and other care providers statewide. The new relationship helps extend that reach.

“Our new relationship with University of Florida Health offers the people we serve throughout Florida greater access to quality, cost-effective care,” said Roger Rodriguez, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement in Florida. “We are grateful for the collaborative relationships we share with care providers like UF Health who are committed to improving the quality and cost of care.”

Having UF Health as a participating provider for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans will help benefit patients across the state, said Russ Armistead, CEO of UF Health Jacksonville.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to extend our world-class health care to more Floridians,” he said. “Our relationship with UnitedHealthcare will serve to change the health care landscape for the better.”

UF Health is a world-class academic health center that combines leading-edge research with clinical care at a network of hospitals around the state. The flagship is UF Health Shands Hospital with 14 adult and pediatric specialties ranked among the nation’s top 50 programs in the 2021-22 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals and Best Children’s Hospitals surveys.