Two California health insurers selling policies through President Obama’s healthcare law were caught listing doctors in their directories that weren’t actually accepting their plans.
A five month long investigation conducted by the California Department of Managed Health regulatory body concluded that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California not only failed to maintain an accurate listing of doctors participating in their networks, but also used that inaccurate information in promotional materials intended to bring in new enrollees. The investigation was launched in response to “numerous consumer complaints” about difficulty finding accurate information on in-network doctors in plans sold through Covered California.
The DMHC found that 12.5 percent of physicians listed in the Anthem Blue Cross online directory were no longer operating at the provided location while another 12.8 percent were not willing to accept Obamacare patients.
Blue Shield customers didn’t fare much better, as 18 percent of their directory listings contained inaccurate location information, and another 8.8 percent of doctors were not accepting Blue Shield’s Covered California plans at all.
Anthem and Blue Shield have acknowledged problems with their healthcare directories and are in the process of fixing them. However, they contend that the methodology of the study was flawed. DMCH spokesman Rodger Butler said a follow up investigation will be conducted in six months to monitor progress.
The troubling report comes as the re-enrollment deadline for those insured by Covered California plans approaches in early 2015. So far over 1.3 million Californians have chosen health care plans through the Obamacare and Covered California hopes to enroll another half a million people by the Feb. 15 deadline.
