“Care-less Denials” began with a series of concerned e-mails and calls from Anthem patients and their families unable to find a mental health professional to help them. It took dozens of calls to find professionals who could explain what had happened. Anthem had cut the reimbursement rates mid-year so severely that many psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors either dropped off the panel or wouldn’t accept new patients. Patients were stuck with insurance they couldn’t use. The I-Team pursued this all the way up to the Governor’s office, leading to three investigations, by two state departments and one local county commission.
Judges’ Comments: This was a complicated story that was told in an easy-to-follow way. The investigative work is well done.