MVP Health Plan has agreed to overhaul its mental health provider directory as part of a settlement with the New York Attorney General’s Office.
The settlement follows an investigation from the office that uncovered systemic issues with MVP’s network, including incorrect directory information, that may have left some beneficiaries unable to access care or caused them to pay out of pocket for out-of-network treatment, according to an Aug. 26 news release from the New York Attorney General’s Office.
Under the agreement, MVP must provide financial restitution to eligible members who paid more than they should have for mental health care due to inaccurate provider listings or a lack of in-network providers since Jan. 1, 2020, according to the release.
MVP will also pay $250,000 in penalties, fees and costs to the state of New York.
The payer is required to overhaul its provider directory to ensure all listed mental health providers are actively in network, accepting new patients and are reachable. The company must update listings within 15 days of receiving updated information and remove providers who fail to respond to verification requests or are not accepting new patients.
Every 90 days, MVP must contact each provider in its network to confirm their participation and availability. It must also adopt protocols to ensure timely responses to member inquiries and create a complaint monitoring system to track issues with network access and directory accuracy.
MVP will also work to improve its mental health provider network by recruiting additional psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners who treat children and adolescents, assisting providers with navigating MVP’s systems, and conducting outreach to help members understand and access the mental health services available to them.
