Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California are being investigated by state regulators in response to consumer complaints that the companies provided inaccurate in-network provider lists, according to an Orange County Register report.
Since January, Anthem — a unit of WellPoint — has been the subject of 115 provider-related complaints from consumers, and Blue Shield has been the subject of 97 complaints.
The Department of Managed Health said many consumers who purchased their insurance plans on the exchange chose their plans based on a specific physician being in their network only to later discover their physician was not included in their network, according to the report.
Anthem and Blue Shield both acknowledged that mistakes were made with respect to their respective networks, and both organizations said they have repeatedly attempted to contact physicians to confirm their network status, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
Healthcare providers in every county in California will be called to determine the accuracy of the lists of provider networks given to consumers, and the state's findings will be made public by Nov. 15 — the start of the next round of open enrollment.
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