Insurer Agrees to Pay Millions for Failing to Fix Errors That Made It Harder for Customers to Get Mental Health Care

ProPublicaCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Max BlauFebruary 19, 2026 at 07:25 PM

AI Summary

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EmblemHealth, one of New York's largest health insurers, will pay a $2.5 million fine to settle with the New York Attorney General's office for failing to correct inaccuracies in its mental health provider listings. The settlement resolves allegations that EmblemHealth overstated the availability of in-network mental health providers, violating state and federal laws. This resulted in customers postponing treatment, forgoing care, and paying for more expensive out-of-network providers. The Attorney General's office found that EmblemHealth had failed to address the issue despite a previous settlement agreement in 2011 and numerous customer complaints between 2018 and 2024. While EmblemHealth does not admit to the findings, they agreed to the settlement to avoid litigation and stated they are taking steps to support members' access to care.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

ProPublica ×250% Letitia James 60% New York 70% New York Attorney General's Office ×480% EmblemHealth ×890%

Keywords

mental health care 100% emblemhealth 90% health insurers 80% provider directory errors 80% ghost networks 70% in-network providers 60% attorney general 60% access to care 50% settlement 50%