# Meridian Health Plan to Drop Detroit Medical Center From Network on January 1, 2027

> Meridian Health Plan will remove Tenet's Detroit Medical Center from its network on January 1, 2027, affecting more than 880,000 Michigan members.

- Published: 2026-10-23T18:42:19+00:00
- Section: Partnerships
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-23/meridian-health-plan-dmc-network-termination
- Source: [Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/contract-dispute-could-leave-dmc-182527240.html)

## Key takeaways

- Meridian Health Plan notified members that Tenet providers and locations will leave its network on January 1, 2027.
- Detroit Medical Center said more than 880,000 Centene and Meridian members in Michigan received termination letters.
- Meridian said it will assign members a nearby primary care provider if they do not choose one themselves.

Meridian Health Plan will remove Detroit Medical Center from its network on January 1, 2027, if a contract dispute with DMC parent [Tenet](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0002f7f/tenet-health) Healthcare is not resolved, a move DMC said affects more than 880,000 Centene and Meridian members in Michigan. [Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/contract-dispute-could-leave-dmc-182527240.html) published the report on October 23, 2026.

## Meridian's Notice to Michigan Members

DMC said on October 23 that more than 880,000 Centene and Meridian members in Michigan received termination letters. In a notice posted on its website, [Meridian Health Plan](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000cib1/meridian-health-plan) informed members that Tenet providers and locations would no longer be in its network beginning January 1, 2027.

"If you have a Primary Care Provider (PCP) with Tenet or if you have appointments scheduled at a Tenet location, you will need to obtain care from a different provider," the notice read. Meridian said in the notice that it would assign members a nearby primary care provider if they did not choose one themselves.

In a statement, DMC said the planned termination threatens access to care for Michigan residents. "Centene, the parent company of Meridian, claims to support access to care for low-income and vulnerable populations," the hospital system said. "Despite this, instead of negotiating a new and fair contract in good faith, Centene sent a termination letter to end in-network coverage of Detroit Medical Center (DMC) services as of January 1, 2027, for over 880,000 Centene / Meridian members in Michigan. For patients, this risks higher out-of-pocket costs, disrupted care plans, and longer wait times to access high-quality healthcare."

Meridian did not immediately respond to a request for comment. [Centene](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00024x4/centene) and Oscar Health outlined their 2027 ACA marketplace plans, with open enrollment starting November 1, according to FierceHealthcare.

## Meridian's Illinois Contract and Community Programs

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Meridian secured a State of Illinois HealthChoice Illinois managed care contract renewal effective January 1, 2027, locking in capitation premium revenue for the next contract term. The same records show Meridian Health Plan of Illinois and Centene Foundation jointly awarded a $2.2 million grant to Safer Foundation in January 2026 for the purchase and renovation of a 23-unit affordable housing building in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood, expected to be completed in 2026.

Meridian Health Plan of Illinois committed $1.15 million over three years to Food On The Move, a mobile food pantry program operated by St. Louis Area Foodbank, in December 2025. Starting in 2026, Meridian will partner with local healthcare providers to offer vaccines and health screenings at selected mobile food distribution events operated by St. Louis Area Foodbank.

## January 1, 2027 Network Change

The termination takes effect January 1, 2027, the date Meridian's notice gives for Tenet providers and locations leaving its network. The same date applies to Meridian's State of Illinois HealthChoice Illinois managed care contract renewal.

## Companies in this story

- [Meridian Health Plan company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000cib1/meridian-health-plan) · website: https://www.ilmeridian.com
- [Centene company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00024x4/centene) · website: http://centene.com
- [Tenet Health company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0002f7f/tenet-health) · website: http://tenethealth.com

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