March 31, 2026 LDH closes out contract with UnitedHealthcare, reassigns members

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mar 31, 2026 - The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) today announced the closure of its contract with UnitedHealthcare. As part of this transition, Medicaid members previously enrolled with UnitedHealthcare were reassigned to other participating managed care organizations (MCOs) to ensure uninterrupted access to care. 

Over the past three months, LDH staff have worked tirelessly to ensure UnitedHealthcare members were successfully transitioned to new receiving plans with unfettered continuity of care. The Department established a Special Enrollment Period from January 15 to February 15, during which UnitedHealthcare members could select a plan with a new MCO. Of the nearly 280,000 members enrolled in UnitedHealthcare, over 36,000 selected a new plan. After February 15, members who did not select a new plan were assigned to new plans using an algorithm that prioritized placements that kept family members together and aimed to ensure members remained with their in-network providers. 

“We appreciate the partnership of providers and health plans as we worked on a seamless experience for those we serve,” said Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein. “Throughout this transition, LDH remained focused on protecting continuity of care and minimizing any disruption to the services members rely on.”

To execute these changes, LDH held daily calls with UnitedHealthcare and the remaining MCOs to facilitate a smooth transition. These calls were instrumental to implementation and helped confirm that all parties had the appropriate data and authorizations for each UnitedHealthcare member, enabling the receiving MCOs to maintain continuity of care. MCOs will be required to honor all current authorizations of care for these new members for the next 60 days. 

UnitedHealthcare members have received their new insurance cards. Members who are not satisfied with their new plan may change plans without cause. LDH will continue to monitor the transition over the coming weeks to support members and address any issues that arise.