Max Blau (maxblau.bsky.social)
@MaxBlau
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Investigative reporter with @ProPublica's South bureau, covering health care, public health, and the environment. Find me at https://t.co/dZD0qea563
ATL
Joined May 2009
PSA: I'm moving away from using X as much. (I'll still post my new stories here, but that's it.) Here's where you can find me on other social sites: Blue Sky: https://t.co/6L6piCYSgq Threads: https://t.co/tQbUaSS8C2 IG: https://t.co/GBl7B7nf1k LinkedIn:
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@propublica In case you missed the original story about Ravi's encounters with a ghost network, you can read that here:
propublica.org
Ravi Coutinho bought a health insurance plan thinking it would deliver on its promise of access to mental health providers. But even after 21 phone calls and multiple hospitalizations, no one could...
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Ravi Coutinho died after being unable to find mental health treatment. Following @ProPublica's investigation, his mother is now suing his health insurer, saying it broke the law by publishing false information that misled its customers. My latest story:
propublica.org
The mother of Ravi Coutinho, the subject of a recent ProPublica investigation, is suing Centene for publishing “misleading” information that gave her son a false impression about the kinds of mental...
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Our “America’s Mental Barrier” series, which examines how insurance companies interfere with access to necessary mental health care across the United States, was also named a finalist in the explanatory reporting category: https://t.co/2iD31PuQXB Via @PulitzerPrizes
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delighted to be working with @propublica on the third installment of our new live event series and radio program—@theaterofwar presented by @wync. rsvp to attend. on april 9, we'll be presenting @maxblau's important reporting.
Watch Oscar Isaac, Kathryn Erbe and Bill Camp perform “I Don’t Want to Die: Needing Mental Health Care, He Got Trapped in His Insurer’s Ghost Network" by our reporter @MaxBlau. RSVP to attend this FREE event by @TheaterofWar & @WNYC on Zoom:
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Watch Oscar Isaac, Kathryn Erbe and Bill Camp perform “I Don’t Want to Die: Needing Mental Health Care, He Got Trapped in His Insurer’s Ghost Network" by our reporter @MaxBlau. RSVP to attend this FREE event by @TheaterofWar & @WNYC on Zoom:
eventbrite.com
A powerful conversation about health insurance, ghost networks, and the challenges many American face accessing mental health care.
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The @USDOL has found widespread noncompliance and violations of federal law in how health plans and insurers cover mental health care, echoing the findings of a recent @ProPublica investigation. Here's the details on what DOL found:
propublica.org
The probe found widespread noncompliance and violations of federal law in how health plans and insurers cover mental health care, echoing the findings of a recent ProPublica investigation.
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New: The probe found widespread noncompliance and violations of federal law in how health plans and insurers cover mental health care, echoing the findings of a recent ProPublica investigation.
propublica.org
The probe found widespread noncompliance and violations of federal law in how health plans and insurers cover mental health care, echoing the findings of a recent ProPublica investigation.
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New: In dozens of cases ProPublica reviewed, judges found that some doctors working for these companies engaged in “selective readings” of medical evidence and “shut their eyes” to medical opinions opposing their conclusions.
propublica.org
In dozens of cases ProPublica reviewed, judges found that some doctors working for these companies engaged in “selective readings” of medical evidence and “shut their eyes” to medical opinions...
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NEW: Three years ago, UnitedHealthcare was sanctioned for illegally denying mental health coverage. We've found similar practices are still very much alive, after reviewing leaked documents that reveal the company’s playbook for limiting care. 🧵👇
propublica.org
United used an algorithm system to identify patients who it determined were getting too much therapy and then limited coverage. It was deemed illegal in three states, but similar practices persist...
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“You can have all the strong laws on the books,” said a policy officer with the mental health advocacy group Inseparable. “But if they’re not being enforced, then it’s kind of all for nothing.” https://t.co/WGLIJLOgXG
propublica.org
State agencies say they’re holding insurers accountable for errors in provider directories. But ProPublica found that the actual actions taken so far do not match the regulators’ rhetoric.
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We’re still looking to hear from mental health providers, health insurance insiders and patients. Do you have a tip for us? Please fill out this form.
propublica.org
ProPublica’s reporters want to talk to mental health providers, health insurance insiders and patients as we examine the U.S. mental health care system. If that’s you, reach out.
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My colleagues and I are continuing to report on the ways insurers meddle with mental health care. We’ve looked at why providers have left insurance networks and the patchwork of mental health protections across the country.
propublica.org
American insurance companies — quietly, and with little government pushback — have assumed an outsize role in mental health care. People in pain are paying the price.
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If you find yourself caught in a ghost network — and can’t find a mental health provider that accepts your insurance — here are the key steps that experts suggest for you to consider.
propublica.org
Insurers’ failures to update their provider directories have led to dire consequences for people seeking mental health care. Experts, clinicians and advocates explain how you can navigate these...
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The harms from ghost networks are real. I recently reported on how Ravi Coutinho, a 36-year-old entrepreneur from Arizona, died after running into problems with his plan’s ghost network. Here’s that story:
propublica.org
Ravi Coutinho bought a health insurance plan thinking it would deliver on its promise of access to mental health providers. But even after 21 phone calls and multiple hospitalizations, no one could...
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The group has stated that errors could be corrected faster if the providers did a better job updating their listings. But providers have told us that’s bogus: They’re not always removed from the directories when they formally drop out of a network.
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Insurers acknowledge that errors happen. The industry’s top trade group has said that insurers contact providers to verify that their listings are accurate.
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Dr. Robert Trestman, a leading @APApsychiatric expert on ghost networks, said state agencies have failed to enforce regulations. “They’re not doing their job. If they were, we would not have an ongoing problem.”
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Even when penalties for directory errors do happen, they are small and sporadic. In an average year, there are fewer than one-dozen fines issued by regulators. All those fines represent a fraction of 1% of the billions of dollars in profits made by the largest insurers.
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Spokespeople for the state agencies told ProPublica that their “many actions” resulted in “significant accountability.” But ProPublica found that the actual actions taken so far do not match the regulators’ rhetoric.
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In each of those states, insurance regulators can’t point to a single penalty for ghost networks.
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