The Louisiana Department of Health has officially ended its contract with UnitedHealthcare and reassigned Medicaid members who were enrolled in that plan to other participating managed care organizations.

State health officials said the change was made with an emphasis on keeping care uninterrupted for members across Louisiana. Over the past three months, LDH staff worked to move members into new plans while trying to avoid disruptions in medical services and provider access.

During a Special Enrollment Period held from Jan. 15 through Feb. 15, UnitedHealthcare members were given the opportunity to choose a new managed care plan. Out of nearly 280,000 members previously enrolled with UnitedHealthcare, more than 36,000 selected a new plan during that window.

Members who did not make a selection by the deadline were automatically reassigned using a process designed to keep families together under the same plan when possible and to help members remain connected to providers already in their network.

LDH Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein said the department remained focused on protecting continuity of care throughout the transition and reducing any disruption to the services Medicaid members depend on.

To help carry out the change, LDH held daily calls with UnitedHealthcare and the remaining managed care organizations. Officials said those conversations helped make sure the necessary member information, approvals, and authorizations were transferred so care could continue as smoothly as possible.

The department also said managed care organizations will be required to honor all current authorizations of care for newly reassigned members for the next 60 days.

UnitedHealthcare members have already been sent their new insurance cards. However, members who are not satisfied with the plan they were assigned still have the option to change plans without cause.

LDH said it will continue monitoring the transition in the coming weeks and will work to address any concerns or issues that arise for members during the process.