Centene health plans fined $1.7 million by state

(The Center Square) – Three different health plans owned by the Centene Corporation have been fined $1.7 million by the state, according to a press release issued by the California Department of Managed Health Care. The fine was split among the three plans, with Health Net paying $1.2 million, Human Affairs International of California paying $300,000 and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. paying $200,000, officials from the Department of Managed Health Care said in the press release. “Delays in finding timely appointments can be a barrier for patients seeking medically necessary care, and can have negative impacts on health plan members,” Kevin Durawa, a spokesperson for the Department of Managed Health Care, told The Center Square via email on Tuesday. “In this case, all three plans failed to report minimum rates of compliance with timely access standards for certain provider networks in their annual surveys of provider networks. Legislators who sit on health-related committees in t