Did You Receive an Aetna Emergency Room Denial?
If the answer is yes, we can help. Call now or fill out the Free Consultation form on this page.
If you received an Aetna emergency room denial, we can help. California’s Department of Managed Health Care recently fined Aetna for denying emergency room claims. Aetna’s denials were against the state’s standards. Aetna has a duty to engage in good faith and fair dealing. Aetna clearly has not upheld its duty.
The Law Offices of Scott Glovsky can file an appeal with the internal processes of Aetna, create a case before the state’s review board, or take your case to court to enforce a policy. If Aetna denied your Emergency Room or other health insurance claim, contact our office today to find out how we can help you during this difficult time. We want to make sure you get the treatment you need, while also making sure Aetna provides the coverage you were promised.
Our firm has fought and won against Aetna in the past. In 2018 through our litigation, we exposed Aetna’s review practice of medical directors not reviewing medical records before denying treatment. Our lawsuit led to national news and investigations into Aetna by the United States Senate, California Department of Managed Health Care, California Department of Insurance, Colorado state regulators, Washington state regulators and Connecticut state regulators.
Aetna Denies ER Care – Fined by Department of Managed Health Care
Aetna denies ER claims incorrectly and in August 2020 was fined $500,000 by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC). According to the DMHC, Aetna Health of California, Inc. (Aetna) incorrectly uses the national standard to deny paying ER claims. Aetna should instead be applying California’s broader standard for emergency room bills.
California requires health insurance plans to cover emergency room services. The only exceptions are when ER services are not required or when they never occurred. In 2019, the DMHC reviewed a sampling of Aetna ER claims. The DMHC found 93% of Aetna’s denied emergency room claims should have been approved. The issue was that Aetna’s denial template for HMOs followed national, not California standards.
This was not the first time the DMHC fined Aetna. The DMHC fined Aetna $135,000 in 2015 and 2016 for incorrectly denying ER claims. Aetna paid fines and trained its employees to better understand how to review California ER claims. The 2020 fine of $500,000 is larger than past fines because Aetna has repeatedly failed to correct this problem.
Our Cases Have Discovered Troubling Aetna Internal Review Processes in the Past
Unfortunately, and for a variety of reasons, health insurance companies deny legitimate claims. A few years ago, we uncovered Aetna’s troubling review process. In this process, medical directors didn’t review medical records prior to denying treatment. Our discovery led to national news. It also led to investigations into Aetna by the United States Senate, California Department of Managed Health Care, and the California Department of Insurance. In fact, even regulators from Colorado, Washington state and Connecticut initiated investigations.
If you are denied payment for emergency services, you should file a grievance with your health plan. Depending on your plan, a response should take no more than 30 days. You can also reach out to an attorney who specializes in health insurance law.
The Law Offices of Scott Glovsky can help you.
Los Angeles and California health insurance denial attorney Scott Glovsky helps members seek justice for medically necessary denials. Please call our office or fill out the Free Consultation form on this page.