Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois was fined $605,000 by the Illinois Department of Insurance for violating network transparency laws.
According to a March 9 news release, the Illinois insurance department began a market conduct exam of BCBS Illinois in November 2020. The investigation found the payer failed to follow some network transparency standards, including failing to audit at least 25 percent of provider directories for accuracy and maintaining current provider information on its website.
Health Care Service Corp., the parent company of BCBS Illinois, paid the fine, according to the release.
In a statement shared with Becker's, a BCBS Illinois spokesperson said the insurance department's audit "[affirms] BCBSIL's belief that our networks offer our members adequate access to care across every Illinois county."
"We worked with the IDOI throughout the audit to resolve remaining areas of concern and develop plans to adjust some of our operational systems and processes," the spokesperson said. "Market conduct exams are a normal part of doing business and such exams are just one of the ways we actively work with regulators to ensure we are best serving the needs of our members."
The Illinois Department of Insurance also fined BCBS Illinois in March 2022 for failing to provide information to the state after its contract termination with Springfield Clinic.