Updated October 06, 2025

Important Information About Our Medicare Advantage HMO Relationship with Sutter Health in California

UnitedHealthcare and Sutter Health (Sutter) have mutually agreed to end our Individual Medicare Advantage HMO contract, with the exception of Group Retiree HMO and PPO plans. This means that Sutter’s physicians and hospitals will no longer be in network for members with UnitedHealthcare Individual Medicare Advantage HMO plans, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

UnitedHealthcare members with commercial plans and Group Retiree HMO and PPO plans are not impacted by this change and will continue to have uninterrupted in-network access to Sutter’s locations and physicians. 

Letters are being mailed to all impacted members with UnitedHealthcare Individual Medicare Advantage HMO plans alerting them of this change.

Here are a few things you need to know:

Sutter’s physicians and locations, including the following hospitals, will no longer be in network for members with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage HMO plans, with the exception of Group Retiree HMO and PPO plans, effective Jan. 1, 2026:

  • Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
  • Alta Base Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Campus
  • Alta Base Summit Medical Center - Herrick Campus
  • Alta Base Summit Medical Center - Summit Campus
  • California Pacific Medical Center - Van Ness Campus
  • California Pacific Medical Center - California Campus
  • California Pacific Medical Center - Davies Campus
  • California Pacific Medical Center - Pacific Campus
  • California Pacific Medical Center – Mission Campus
  • Eden Medical Center
  • Memorial Hospital of Los Banos
  • Memorial Medical Center
  • Mills Health Center
  • Mills-Peninsula Medical Center
  • Novato Community Hospital
  • Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region - Sutter Health Sacramento
  • Sutter Amador Hospital
  • Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital
  • Sutter Coast Hospital
  • Sutter Davis Hospital
  • Sutter Delta Medical Center
  • Sutter Lakeside Hospital
  • Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center
  • Sutter Medical Center Sacramento
  • Sutter Roseville Medical Center
  • Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
  • Sutter Solano Medical Center
  • Sutter Surgical Hospital - North Valley
  • Sutter Tracy Community Hospital
  • Sutter Valley Hospital

UnitedHealthcare members with commercial plans and Group Retiree HMO and PPO plans are not impacted by this change and will continue to have uninterrupted in-network access to Sutter’s locations and physicians.

We understand that network changes can be difficult. That is why we are notifying our members in advance of the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) to inform them Sutter Health will be out of network, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Our priority is to ensure our members have access to the care they need through a robust network of hospitals and providers.

Impacted members located in the following counties will be assigned to a new in-network physician and medical group in their area, effective Jan. 1, 2026: Kings, Fresno, Madera, Nevada, Amador, El Dorado, Lake, Mendocino, Merced, and Tulare Counties.

If a member is satisfied with their new physician and medical group, they don’t need to do anything and a new member identification card with updated medical group and physician information will be mailed to them.

If a member prefers to select their own physician, they can choose a new medical group and physician from our network at any time.

Impacted members located in Placer, Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties will need to choose a new Individual Medicare Advantage plan, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

UnitedHealthcare members with Group Retiree HMO and PPO plans are not impacted and may keep their existing medical group and Sutter physician.

For support finding in-network physicians and hospitals, members can call the customer care number on their health plan ID card or visit their plan’s website:

UnitedHealthcare members who are in active or ongoing treatment for a serious or complex condition at a Sutter hospital or with a Sutter provider are eligible to continue care throughout the course of their treatment at in-network costs.

Continuity of care allows people in the middle of treatment at the time a provider leaves our network to continue accessing care with their provider for a period of time.

For information regarding how to apply and whether they might be eligible for continuity of care, members should call the number on their health plan ID card.

In the event of an emergency, UnitedHealthcare members should go to the nearest hospital and will be covered at the in-network benefit level, regardless of whether the hospital participates in our network.