Attorney General James Secures Settlement with MVP Health Plan Over Mental Health Ghost Network: MVP to Adopt Reforms to Improve Patient Access to Mental Health Care
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New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James announced an agreement with MVP Health Plan (MVP) to overhaul its mental health provider directory to ensure the accuracy of its mental health provider network and provide compensation to MVP members impacted by the directory’s inaccurate listings. The settlement follows an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), which was launched in 2023, that uncovered systemic issues within MVP’s network, including incorrect directory information, that left some members unable to access care or forced them to pay out-of-pocket for out-of-network treatment. The agreement is the first action resulting from AG James’ report, “Inaccurate and Inadequate: Health Plans’ Mental Health Provider Directories.” Read the full report.
The OAG launched its investigation in 2023 and conducted a secret shopper survey of mental health providers listed in MVP’s online directory. The survey found that 100% of the mental health providers it called, all of whom were listed as “accepting new patients,” were either unreachable or not currently accepting new patients, and that MVP had no process in place to routinely verify providers’ availability.
MVP must provide financial compensation to eligible members who overpaid because of inaccurate provider listings or a lack of available in-network providers since January 1, 2020. An OAG-approved compliance administrator will oversee the process, and MVP must notify eligible members and post claim submission information on its website. In addition, MVP will pay $250,000 in penalties, fees, and costs to the state of New York.
This year is the 20th anniversary of New York’s passage of mental health insurance parity — Timothy’s Law. Read AG James’ statement about the settlement.
