Was this Cigna? Same thing happened to me in SF in the same timeframe.

It took 5 times of me calling and explaining that they can’t charge it as out of network before they adjusted it.

Not surprising. They clearly care(d) a LOT about the regulators asking questions. I was actually shocked that this mechanism was surprisingly effective at reining in abuses from insurers.

It could have been Cigna -- I've cycled between probably every possible insurer during my career. Dirtbags, the lot of them.