A recent lawsuit in the Southern District of New York has alleged that the health insurance company Anthem Blue and Cross Blue Shield violated state laws and committed fraud by maintaining “ghost networks” of mental health providers. Ghost networks are directories for insurance companies that contain outdated or inaccurate information about providers covered by the insurance plan. The lawsuit alleges that only seven of the first 100 providers on the Anthem directory for the state of the New York were contactable, in network, or accepting patients. This aligns with findings by the New York Attorney General that 86% of mental health care providers listed on New York health plans’ networks were ghosts. Getting stuck in a ghost network, unable to find a covered provider, can stymie a patient’s efforts to find mental healthcare, producing dire consequences.
Tag: ghost network
Addressing Ghost Networks in Mental Health Care
By Hannah Rahim
Many mental health provider directories for private and public insurance plans contain inaccurate or outdated provider information, which creates a misleading illusion of accessible care. These ghost networks result in many patients being unable to access essential mental health care. To tackle this issue, federal and state governments should strengthen the regulation of insurance networks and insurers should address underlying causes of inadequate networks.