Millennium Physician Group ending participation in two Florida Blue plans

Millennium Physician Group, one of the area's largest medical providers, will no longer participate in two Blue Cross Blue Shield plans after Dec. 31.

A spokesperson for Florida Blue said it will work with members to ease the transition and assist them in finding doctors in the insurance firm's network.

"We are very disappointed that Millennium Physician Group will no longer accept My Blue HMO and Medicare Advantage PPO members in 2023 and understand that changing doctors can be difficult for our members," said Michael Lawrence, of Florida Blue's Central Florida division.

The insurance firm has "moved affected members to a new (primary care physician) who is in-network and close to where they live, effective as of Jan. 1, 2023," he said.

Dave Hollomon of Rotonda West told The Daily Sun that Millennium Physician Group gave short notice that it was pulling out of the health care plans.

He received a letter from Millennium Physician Group dated Dec. 19, which reads in part that the health insurance provider "has issued a notice of termination ... for the Florida Blue Medicare Advantage PPO product, which also includes termination of participation in all Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage PPO plans originating outside the state of Florida."

"I believe hundreds of soon-to-be former Millennium patients will be left without health care insurance," Hollomon said.

Millennium spokesperson Liza Fernandez said there was a "communication gap" for Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans that originated out of state.

She said Millennium Physician Group sent emails and letters out to those patients covered by Florida Blue as soon as it could.

Millennium Physician Group issued a news release dated Oct. 19 that stated some patients received letters from Florida Blue informing them it would no longer be a participating provider in Florida Blue's Medicare Advantage PPO and MyBlue's Commercial plan networks as of Jan. 1.

Hollomon said he and his wife weren't notified of the change until they received the Dec. 19 letter.

Millennium Physician Group in the October statement said it will continue accepting patients covered by the Florida Blue Medicare Advantage HMO plans and all other Florida Blue commercial HMO and PPO plans.

In addition, it still accepts other Medicare Advantage plans, including Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO, CarePlus Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO, WellCare Medicare Advantage HMO, and United Healthcare Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO.

Hollomon said he and his wife will continue their coverage with Florida Blue's Medicare Advantage PPO plan and will find other health care providers.

Millennium Physician Group in October said it would help patients covered by Florida Blue My Blue PPO.

"We will help patients transition to another physician who is participating in the network," the news release stated.

It advised that these patients contact Florida Blue directly at the phone number on the back of their ID card.

Adrian Cline, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County, said the DOH "has not experienced a surge of unmet need from the public regarding the action by Millennium Physician Group."

He said the department "will continue to monitor the impact of this decision on the Charlotte community."