Excellus Settles With New York Attorney General Over Alleged Mental Health Parity Violations

On March 18, 2015, the New York Attorney General announced a settlement agreement with Rochester-based Excellus Health Plan, Inc. regarding its behavioral health benefits and alleged violations of the state and federal mental health parity acts. An investigation by the Attorney General’s Health Care Bureau found that Excellus denied inpatient addiction treatment services at least twice as often as inpatient medical services between 2011 and 2014, including nearly seven times as often in 2012. In agreeing to the settlement, Excellus neither admitted nor denied the Attorney General's allegations. The settlement requires Excellus to provide notice of a . . .