04/30/2026
Several times a week, my phone rings. On the other end is someone desperate for mental health support — someone who has done their homework, checked their insurance network, and found my name on Blue Cross Blue Shield’s provider list. There’s just one problem: I haven’t been in-network with BCBS since 2021. I break the news gently. I watch the confusion and frustration come through in their voices. They’re not wrong — my name IS on the list. But the list is wrong.
I’ve contacted Blue Cross Blue Shield multiple times asking to be removed. Nothing has changed. And now I understand why: insurance companies take their time to take providers off their lists. They have every incentive to keep their provider lists as long as possible. A longer list means more people choose their plan at enrollment. It doesn’t matter if those providers aren't actually available to you once you’ve paid your premiums. This is called a “ghost network” — and it’s not a glitch. It’s a pattern.
Every time I get one of these calls, I do my best to help the person find a mental health provider who actually takes their insurance. But that’s time none of us should have to spend. And for someone already struggling and reaching out for help, hitting wall after wall can be devastating. The people hurt by ghost networks aren’t statistics. They’re our neighbors, our family members, people working up the courage to ask for help — only to find the system has misled them.
NBC News did an important piece on this. I hope you’ll read it and share it. 👇
Insurance companies often refer patients to lists of providers who are unreachable or out of network or don’t accept new patients.
