What do Tenet, Meridian and Detroit Medical Center each say?
Neither side has announced a deal as of October 29, 2026. Each statement below is attributed to the side that made it, and we did not find a statement from Centene's corporate office.
| Who | What they say |
|---|---|
| Tenet (its Keep Your Healthcare Access website, which says it holds Tenet's opinions) | Centene sent a notice to end network access to Tenet hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and employed providers for Centene's marketplace, Medicare Advantage and managed Medicaid plans. If no agreement is reached, Centene members lose network access on January 1, 2027. Tenet also says you can always receive care at its emergency departments. |
| Meridian, Centene's Michigan plan (notice to Medicaid members) | As of January 1, 2027, Tenet Healthcare will no longer be in Meridian's network. A member with a Tenet primary care provider chooses a new one in the member portal, or Meridian assigns one nearby. |
| Meridian (statement reported by the Detroit News, October 23) | It is actively negotiating and hopes to extend the partnership before the contract ends at the end of 2026. If there is no agreement, Medicaid members could keep specialty care such as cardiology, oncology and obstetrics and gynecology at their existing facility, but members whose Detroit Medical Center primary care provider becomes out of network would need a new primary care provider at a location Tenet does not own. |
| Detroit Medical Center (statement reported October 23) | More than 880,000 Centene and Meridian members in Michigan received termination letters. DMC says this risks higher out of pocket costs, disrupted care plans and longer waits for care. |
| Tenet officials (reported by DBusiness, October 29) | Tenet officials say Centene's original proposal would have cut hospital payment rates to well below market levels, and that Centene followed Tenet's rejection of it with a termination notice. DBusiness reports that talks continue and that no agreement has been reached. |
Disputes like this often end in an agreement before the date. On October 15, 2026, Ochsner Health said it reached an agreement with Centene's Louisiana plan, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, so that plan's members can continue to get in network care from Ochsner.
A settlement is possible, and so is a lapse. Pick a plan that works for you under either outcome.
Which states, hospitals and plans does Tenet name?
Tenet lists the Centene plan names and the Tenet health systems in four states. Tenet also covers California, which this article does not.
| State | Tenet health systems Tenet names | Centene plan names Tenet lists |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | Palm Beach Health Network, with 6 hospitals and Palm Beach Children's Hospital | Ambetter Health, Sunshine Health (Medicaid), Wellcare, Wellcare by Sunshine Health |
| Texas | The Hospitals of Providence in El Paso, Baptist Health System in San Antonio, Valley Baptist Health System in Cameron County, Nacogdoches Medical Center | Ambetter from Superior HealthPlan, Superior HealthPlan (Medicaid), Wellcare, Wellcare by Allwell, Wellcare by Superior HealthPlan |
| Arizona | Abrazo Health in the Phoenix area, Carondelet Health Network in Tucson and Nogales | Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health, Arizona Complete Health and Care1st Health Plan Arizona (Medicaid), Wellcare |
| Michigan | Detroit Medical Center and Children's Hospital of Michigan | Ambetter from Meridian, Meridian (Medicaid), Wellcare, Wellcare by Meridian |
The hospitals describe the change themselves too. Palm Beach Health Network says Sunshine Health, Wellcare, Wellcare by Sunshine Health and Ambetter Health will no longer provide in network coverage as of January 1, 2027. Detroit Medical Center lists Meridian, Wellcare, Wellcare by Meridian and Ambetter from Meridian.
These are the hospitals' and Tenet's statements about what happens without a new contract. They are not a finding that any plan has already left a hospital's network. Texas readers can see how San Antonio hospital systems list marketplace plans in our San Antonio guide, and what Baylor Scott & White Health Plan's marketplace exit means in our Austin guide.
How many people does Tenet say could be affected?
Tenet reports how many members Centene has in each state. These are Tenet's approximate counts for all Centene members in the state, not only people who use a Tenet hospital.
| State | Marketplace members | Medicare Advantage members | Medicaid members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | About 1,232,000 | About 98,000 | About 2,555,000 |
| Texas | About 975,000 | About 235,000 | About 1,802,000 |
| Arizona | About 87,000 | About 93,000 | About 727,000 |
| Michigan | About 148,000 | About 65,000 | About 670,000 |
Tenet says it has 66 hospitals, 2,290 employed providers and 320 surgery centers in 19 states, and that Centene members have about 295,000 hospital visits a year at Tenet hospitals. Tenet says Centene has 13.26 million members in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas.
In Michigan, Detroit Medical Center's count of more than 880,000 letters is close to the total of Tenet's three Michigan figures. DBusiness separately reports that about 120,000 existing Centene Medicaid and Medicare plans in southeast Michigan may be affected.
What are the dates for people choosing a plan this fall?
The contract end date and the start of new coverage are the same day, January 1, 2027. A plan you pick this fall is the plan that has to include your hospital on that date, and DBusiness makes the same point.
- October 15, 2026Medicare annual enrollment begins and runs to December 7. Meridian posts its Tenet notice to members in October.
- November 1, 2026Marketplace open enrollment begins on HealthCare.gov.
- December 7, 2026Medicare annual enrollment ends. A Medicare plan picked by this date starts January 1.
- December 15, 2026Last day to pick a marketplace plan that starts January 1, 2027.
- January 1, 2027The date Tenet and Meridian say Tenet leaves Centene's networks if no new agreement is signed. New coverage starts the same day.
- January 1 to March 31, 2027If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change in this period.
Source: Tenet, Meridian and DBusiness (dispute); HealthCare.gov and Medicare.gov (enrollment dates)
A plan can list your doctor today and still not include that doctor on January 1. If you already have a Centene plan, the same question applies to the plan you keep.
What can I do before the dates pass?
You do not have to wait for the outcome to protect your care. These steps work whether or not the two sides sign.
- Look up your hospital, your doctors and any children's hospital in the exact 2027 directory of the plan you are considering, not only the company name. Ask the plan whether each one will be in network on January 1, 2027.
- If you have Meridian Medicaid and a Tenet primary care provider, change it in the member portal. Meridian says it will assign a nearby provider if you do not choose.
- Medicaid plan changes go through your state's Medicaid enrollment program. Tenet lists the contact for each state.
- Tenet says its emergency departments stay open to everyone. Ask your plan how it pays for emergency care.
- Medicare plans picked by December 7 start January 1, and a Medicare Advantage member can make one change from January 1 to March 31, 2027.
- Do not count on switching plans later. Special enrollment periods depend on specific events, and we did not find a source that says a network change opens one.
If the two sides announce an agreement, the plans and hospitals will say so on their own websites.
How can an agent help while this is unresolved?
An agent can look up your hospital and doctors in each plan's directory, compare plans from more than one company, check your prescriptions and explain which enrollment dates apply to you. Have your doctors' names, your hospital and your current plan card ready.
Health Insurance Solutions agents are licensed in 22 states and help by phone and online. Marketplace plans cost the same with or without an agent, so the comparison does not add to your premium.
Insurers and hospitals mentioned
Explore the organizations or brands discussed in this article. A mention does not mean every plan or location is covered.
- Insurer · ArizonaAmbetter from Arizona Complete Health
- Medicare Advantage · ArizonaWellcare
- Insurer · FloridaAmbetter Health
- Medicare Advantage · FloridaWellcare
- Insurer · GeorgiaAmbetter
- Medicare Advantage · GeorgiaWellcare
- Insurer · IndianaAmbetter Health
- Medicare Advantage · IndianaWellcare
- Insurer · IowaAmbetter Health
- Medicare Advantage · IowaWellcare
- Insurer · KansasAmbetter from Sunflower Health Plan
- Medicare Advantage · KansasWellcare
- Insurer · LouisianaAmbetter from Louisiana Healthcare Connections
- Medicare Advantage · LouisianaWellcare
- Hospital · MichiganChildren'S Hospital Of Michigan
- Insurer · MichiganAmbetter from Meridian
- Medicare Advantage · MichiganWellcare
- Insurer · MissouriAmbetter Health
- Medicare Advantage · MissouriWellcare
- Insurer · NebraskaAmbetter Health
- Medicare Advantage · NebraskaWellcare
- Medicare Advantage · NevadaWellcare
- Insurer · North CarolinaAmbetter of North Carolina
- Medicare Advantage · North CarolinaWellcare
- Insurer · OhioAmbetter from Buckeye Health Plan
- Medicare Advantage · OhioWellcare
- Insurer · OklahomaAmbetter of Oklahoma
- Insurer · South CarolinaAmbetter from Absolute Total Care
- Medicare Advantage · South CarolinaWellcare
- Insurer · TennesseeAmbetter of Tennessee
- Hospital · TexasNacogdoches Medical Center
- Insurer · TexasAmbetter from Superior HealthPlan
- Insurer · TexasAmbetter from Superior HealthPlan
- Medicare Advantage · TexasBaylor Scott & White Health Plan
- Medicare Advantage · TexasWellcare
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