An Arizona mother is suing her late son’s health insurer, claiming its false and outdated provider listings led to months of failed attempts to access mental health care, resulting in his death.
Ravi Coutinho, a 36-year-old Phoenix entrepreneur, purchased an Ambetter health insurance plan through HealthCare.gov because it appeared to offer robust mental health and addiction services nearby, ProPublica reported. But Coutinho found himself caught in a so-called “ghost network,” where providers listed as in-network were actually unavailable or not accepting new patients.
Despite making 21 documented calls to Ambetter representatives in early 2023, Coutinho was unable to secure a therapist. His death, attributed to complications from excessive alcohol use, occurred in May 2023 and was ruled accidental…