Eight health insurers have agreed to maintain accurate provider directories on their websites as part of a settlement with the state attorney general’s office.
The insurers agreed to update their online directories to remove providers who no longer participate in their health plans. They also agreed to correct listing errors for providers who are in their plans.
The settlement, which Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman made public today, will also require insurers to update online provider directories in a timely manner in the future. In addition, settling insurers will provide restitution to customers who had to pay out-of-pocket expenses because they visited out-of-network providers who were incorrectly listed as being in-network.
Insurers in the settlement include arms of New York City–based Empire BlueCross BlueShield: Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., which does business as Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., which does business as Empire BlueCross BlueShield.
Other insurers in the settlement are affiliates of New York City–based EmblemHealth: Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York, HIP Insurance Co. of New York, and Vytra Health Plans.
The final insurers in the settlement are part of Minneapolis–based UnitedHealth Group: Oxford Health Plans of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Co. of New York, and UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc.
“Consumers are entitled to accurate information from their health-care insurers, especially something as basic as whether or not their doctor is in their network,” Schneiderman said in a news release. “Inaccurate directories lead to delays in care and additional costs to the consumer, particularly when that consumer winds up seeing a doctor who is not actually a provider in the plan and pays out of pocket.”
As part of the settlement, the insurers agreed to collectively pay $60,000 to cover the cost of the attorney general’s investigation.
UnitedHealthcare, which operates an upstate office in DeWitt, released a statement on the settlement.
“UnitedHealthcare is pleased to be working with the New York Attorney General’s office on ways to improve the accuracy of online care-provider directories,” the statement said. “We view this as an opportunity to work with health-care providers, hospitals, and other facilities to help ensure we have their most up-to-date health-care provider information for our members who want to seek their services. This is an important part of making sure consumers have the information they need to make informed decisions about where to go for their care.”
Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com