UnitedHealthcare calls Fairview lawsuit ‘mudslinging,’ asks judge to dismiss it

UnitedHealthcare wants a judge to dismiss Fairview’s lawsuit over the insurer’s network directories, saying the case is now moot — and replete with “mudslinging.” The dispute reflects rising tension between insurers and health care providers, adding another source of uncertainty for seniors in Medicare Advantage, a privatized form of government coverage. Fairview Health Services sued the nation’s largest health insurer last month, saying UnitedHealthcare’s online listings were misleading seniors . The listings showed Fairview would be in-network next year with the insurer’s Medicare Advantage plans. This was untrue, said Minneapolis-based Fairview. The health system sought a court order to stop the alleged misrepresentations. Advertisement Minnetonka-based UnitedHealthcare said in a court filing Friday that it updated its directories by Oct. 15, the start of Medicare’s annual open enrollment, to reflect Fairview’s status. The insurer argued that federal regulations didn’t require it to act on that timeline. The health system subsequently flagged a handful of “outlier” listings that still required updates, UnitedHealthcare said, but the insurer maintains the work is done. “While Fairview’s complaint is filled with all kinds of irrelevant accusations and mudslinging, ultimately its legal case is simply a demand that United’s provider directories show that Fairview facilities and providers are out-of-network for its 2027 Medicare Advantage plans,” the insurer said in its filing.