I'm glad they have finally put a name to it "ghost network". Several years ago I sought care for a family member with similar results. He was struggling with depression, and the situation was pretty dire before he was willing to seek help. I stepped in to help him find a therapist. There were 60 providers on his insurance list and I called every single one of them, some several times. Most were independent providers and the calls went to voice mail, "I am with a patient and will call you back as soon as possible." Nobody ever called back, even when I followed up a week or two explaining that the situation was becoming very dire. These were mental health professionals and they couldn't be bothered to call back and at least give a referral to the suicide hotline or something.
Some were part of practices with receptionists. Of those who actually answered the phone, many were "not accepting new patients". Others were "no longer accepting (his) insurance". Others were "no longer with the practice". Others promised to call back (but didn't). Some were kind enough to suggest another practictioner, and I went down that rabbit hole too. There were a few that were booked out 8 weeks or more, but offered to make an appointment then. This wasn't that helpful for a person who was in crisis, unable to imagine he would still be here that far into the future.
It was already a big hurdle to convince him to seek help, and I told him I help him choose a therapist who was a good fit, so you can imagine how hard it was to tell him I couldn't find one at all. He was already feeling so rejected (the depression was related to the loss of employment and a relationship).If he had to make these calls himself, there is no way he would have survived the ordeal. Imagine being in crisis and making hundreds of phone calls to discover that nobody is willing to help you.
Ultimately, I made two appointments for him, both 6+ weeks out. Then our extended family staged an intervention, and moved him in with us so we could at least keep him safe until he could get help. Fast forward two months.....One of the providers cancelled the appointment with no explanation. The other saw him twice, then told him she didn't have room in her schedule to see him regularly. It took months to get going with another therapist, then that person left the practice and they had nobody else on staff that took his insurance. Back to square one. It is brutal out there.
This was during COVID, and that was the excuse then, but Ravi's story shows the situation probably hasn't changed much. It is awful, and I hope Ravi's lawsuit brings awareneness and change.
