Health Payer Intelligence May 5, 2023
Senate Finance Committee staff could only make appointments with 18 percent of mental health specialists listed in Medicare Advantage provider directories.
Medicare Advantage provider directories are inaccurate, hindering beneficiaries’ access to mental healthcare, according to a secret shopper survey conducted by the Senate Finance Committee.
When a health plan’s provider directory consists of inaccurate listings or unavailable providers, it is known as a ghost network.
The Senate Finance Committee’s majority staff reviewed directories from 12 Medicare Advantage health plans in six states to determine the prevalence of mental health provider ghost networks in the private program. Staff called ten providers from each plan to schedule an appointment for an older adult family member with depression.
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