PORTLAND, Maine - Anthem will pay a $225,000 civil penalty for mishandling consumer complaints in Maine.
Maine Bureau of Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa says from 2013 to 2014 investigators found that Anthem repeatedly failed to respond to the bureau’s consumer complaint inquiries within 14 days, which is required by state law.
"We need to be able to gather all of the facts to decide whether or not the complaint is valid or not," Cioppa says. "And the failure of Anthem to provide information timely - or in some cases, to provide substantive responses timely, inhibits our ability to do so."
A spokesman for Anthem, Colin Manning, says the mishandling was due to the actions of one individual, who is no longer with the company. He says Anthem is committed to high-quality service and has strengthened internal policies.
In addition to the $225,000 penalty, Anthem must also submit a corrective action plan within 30 days.
