Insurance commissioner Karin Weldin Stewart announced the fine on Tuesday after an investigation of deficiencies in Blue Cross's pre-authorization process for nuclear cardiac imaging tests, which can diagnose heart blockages.
In addition to the penalty, Blue Cross must implement a pilot program with the American College Of Cardiology that will guarantee that tests for patients of participating doctors will be automatically approved. If Blue Cross fails to commit to the program for at least three years, it could face an additional $300,000 fine.
Last year, after the insurance department began its investigation, Blue Cross voluntarily ended its program of pre-authorizations for nuclear stress testing.
