AG James announced a settlement with Fidelis, a New York-based health insurer, after an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that the company wrongly required New Yorkers to pay for visits related to COVID-19 testing and for certain HIV screening services. As a result, some New Yorkers received bills for hundreds of dollars for services that, under state and federal law, should have been free. As part of the agreement, Fidelis has reprocessed tens of thousands of claims, paid more than $2.8 million to affected providers, ensured providers cancelled bills to consumers and refunded consumers for payments, fixed its internal systems to prevent future problems, and will pay a $175,000 penalty to the state. 

“No New Yorker should ever face a surprise medical bill for care the law says must be free. Fidelis’ practices placed unnecessary financial stress on families who were simply trying to stay healthy during a public health crisis. My office will always stand up for New Yorkers when insurers fail to follow the law.” -AG James