Until late 2025, one local health system largely decided which doctors Villagers saw. Heading into 2027, that decision rests with two national insurers that compete with each other. Humana owns the former Villages Health care centers through its CenterWell Senior Primary Care brand. UnitedHealthcare covers a large share of Villagers through its Medicare Advantage plans. This fall, each company is changing its own side of the arrangement, and those changes don't line up neatly.
Medicare's open enrollment runs through Dec. 7, so the timing matters for anyone choosing a 2027 plan in the next few weeks. Below is how the split came about, what CenterWell has changed since it took over, and what UnitedHealthcare sent local doctors this fall.
How One Health System Became Two Insurers
The current setup traces back to 2016. As Villages-News.com reported, that was the year The Villages Health, then owned by The Villages Developer, told patients to switch to UnitedHealthcare or get their care somewhere else. According to the same report, tens of thousands of residents enrolled in UHC plans, which gave the insurer a dominant position in the local market.
That arrangement fell apart after the billing problems surfaced. The Villages Health System filed for Chapter 11 on July 3, 2025. On Sept. 9, 2025, the bankruptcy court approved selling its assets to CenterWell Senior Primary Care, Humana's primary care brand, for a $68 million cash bid, as ClickOrlando reported. The sale closed Nov. 7, 2025, and CenterWell has run the care centers since then.
On Aug. 26, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that The Villages Health System LLC had agreed to a $541.5 million settlement. The settlement resolves False Claims Act allegations that the system submitted unsupported or improperly amended diagnosis codes to Medicare Advantage insurers from 2020 through 2024. DOJ said the allegations were not adjudicated and no liability was determined. The three insurers named as receiving those codes were Humana, UnitedHealthcare and Florida Blue.
The result is that the clinics now belong to one insurer while a large share of residents still carry coverage from a competing one.
What CenterWell Kept, Added and Handed Off
CenterWell has grown its footprint. In June 2026, The Villages celebrated grand openings for two new CenterWell care centers in Eastport and Mulberry Grove, with tours, live music and ribbon cuttings. Both are open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Here is how the current CenterWell Villages directory lines up with recent local news:
| Location | Type of care listed | Recent change |
|---|---|---|
| Brownwood | Primary care, plus specialty care at the Center for Advanced Healthcare | A specialty physician is retiring this month, and a cardiologist leaves Nov. 22 |
| Colony | Primary care | A physician is moving out of state this month |
| Santa Barbara | Primary care | A physician is retiring this month |
| Eastport, 1346 Dewey Drive | Primary care | Opened in 2026 |
| Mulberry, 8877 SE 165th Mulberry Lane | Primary care | Opened in 2026 |
| Lake Deaton, 779 Kristine Way | Primary care | None reported |
| Creekside | Primary care | None reported |
| Pinellas | Primary care | None reported |
| Spanish Springs | Specialty care | None reported |
The physician changes are the part patients notice most. In early October, Villages-News.com reported that three doctors at Santa Barbara, Colony and Brownwood would leave in November. CenterWell said two of them are retiring and the third is moving out of state. A month later, the same outlet reported that a cardiologist at the Brownwood Center for Advanced Healthcare is leaving as of Nov. 22 to relocate to South Florida.
Some specialties have changed in a different way. In a statement covered by Villages-News.com, CenterWell said its specialty offerings are "evolving in accordance with changing market conditions and patient needs." For gastroenterology and urology, the company said it is "pleased to remain aligned with excellent community partners so that patients can still conveniently access care." Audiology patients will still see Dr. Al Turi and his team, who remain inside CenterWell centers but now operate independently as Village Care Audiology.
When a specialty moves from inside CenterWell to an outside partner, the patient's insurance network decides whether that specialist is covered.
CenterWell has not released physician headcounts. In the same statement, the company said it does not "disclose specifics about staffing rosters," that it remains committed to The Villages, and that it has "plans for future expansion."
Which Plans CenterWell Lists for 2027
On a coverage page for former Villages Health patients, CenterWell lists the plans it will accept in 2027, organized by carrier:
- Florida Blue: continues accepting all listed Medicare Advantage and commercial plans, including BlueMedicare Classic, Focus, Patriot, Premier and Value.
- Humana: continues accepting all listed Medicare Advantage plans, including Humana Community, Humana Choice, Humana USAA Honor Giveback and Humana Gold Plus.
- UnitedHealthcare: continues accepting all listed Medicare Advantage and commercial plans, including UHC The Villages MA, several UHC Dual Complete and Complete Care plans, and AARP Medicare Advantage plans.
- Aetna: accepts select Medicare Advantage and commercial plans, including Dual Select, Eagle Giveback, Chronic Care, Select Extra, Select and Signature.
- CarePlus: accepts select Medicare Advantage plans, namely CareOne Plus Local and CareComplete Local.
The UHC part of that list builds on a deal made a year ago. In November 2025, there was a risk that UHC plans would fall out of network for 2026. CenterWell then announced a long-term agreement on Nov. 26, 2025, ClickOrlando reported, keeping the former Villages Health centers in-network for UHC patients in 2026.
UHC's Medicare Advantage Group plans, the kind usually offered through a former employer, are a separate matter. Villages-News.com reported that earlier this year CenterWell began telling patients on those plans that it considered their coverage a "commercial plan" that did not fit its primary care model, and encouraged them to seek care outside the former Villages Health clinics.
UnitedHealthcare's Dec. 1 Notice
The second change comes from UnitedHealthcare. On Nov. 1, Villages-News.com reported that UHC had sent local practices a formal amendment notice ending their Medicare Advantage network participation effective Dec. 1, 2026. The outlet quoted the letter:
"Given the significant changes and pressures in the healthcare environment, we have undertaken a review of our network and are making changes to its composition. As a result, UnitedHealthcare is amending your Agreement referenced above to discontinue your participation in the Medicare Advantage network effective on December 1, 2026."
According to that report, the notice says UHC can amend participation agreements with 90 days' written notice and does not need provider signatures. The cuts appear to reach specialists, hospitalists and primary care doctors across The Villages and nearby communities. UHC said it will tell affected patients about the network changes "in accordance with applicable law."
Specialties CenterWell now sends to community partners depend on outside doctors being in the patient's network. For UHC Medicare Advantage members, some of those outside doctors are the ones UHC is removing on Dec. 1. Villages-News.com described UHC Medicare Advantage patients as caught between the two: turned away by CenterWell on one side, with independent doctors dropped by UHC on the other.
The Calendar From Here
Here are the dates between now and the new year, in order:
- This month: the three CenterWell physicians at Santa Barbara, Colony and Brownwood leave.
- Sunday, Nov. 22: the Brownwood cardiologist's departure takes effect.
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage network terminations take effect for the providers who received the notice.
- Monday, Dec. 7: Medicare open enrollment closes. It runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7.
- Friday, Jan. 1, 2027: plan changes made during open enrollment take effect, according to Medicare.gov.
Note the gap between the third and fourth dates. UHC's network change takes effect six days before enrollment closes. Local providers told Villages-News.com they worried patients might not hear about it until after committing to a plan. The same report said local healthcare advocates are urging Medicare Advantage members to contact their doctors' offices and insurance representatives to confirm whether their physicians will stay in-network after Dec. 1. For CenterWell's plan list, the coverage page gives a New Patient Advisor line at 352-674-8720 and also suggests that anyone with a broker or agent check with them first.
This post is general information about local healthcare changes, not insurance, medical or financial advice. Please confirm your own coverage and doctors with your plan, your physicians' offices or a licensed Medicare professional before Dec. 7.
If being close to a particular care center is part of your plans for your next home, Amanda can help. She has lived here for more than 20 years, and she can talk through how a move to Eastport, Mulberry Grove or a home closer to Brownwood fits with the care centers you rely on. When you're ready to see what your current home is worth, Amanda Fincher is happy to help. Get your free home valuation.
