An Arizona mom is suing her late son’s well being insurer, claiming its false and outdated supplier listings led to months of failed makes an attempt to entry psychological well being care, leading to his dying.
Ravi Coutinho, a 36-year-old Phoenix entrepreneur, bought an Ambetter medical health insurance plan by way of HealthCare.gov as a result of it appeared to supply strong psychological well being and dependancy providers close by, ProPublica reported. However Coutinho discovered himself caught in a so-called “ghost community,” the place suppliers listed as in-network have been truly unavailable or not accepting new sufferers.
Regardless of making 21 documented calls to Ambetter representatives in early 2023, Coutinho was unable to safe a therapist. His dying, attributed to issues from extreme alcohol use, occurred in Might 2023 and was dominated unintended.
On Might 23, 2025, Barbara Webber filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County in opposition to Ambetter’s guardian firm, Centene, and its Arizona-based subsidiary, Well being Internet of Arizona. The criticism accuses the businesses of violating state and federal legislation by sustaining inaccurate supplier directories and deceptive clients about obtainable care.
The go well with attracts closely from a 2024 ProPublica investigation that uncovered systemic points inside Centene’s networks, together with a number of prior warnings from Arizona regulators about the identical issues. Regardless of being notified, Well being Internet of Arizona confronted no fines and regulators didn’t verify if corrections have been ever made.
Neither Centene nor Well being Internet of Arizona have responded to the lawsuit or prior requests for remark from ProPublica. The case will seemingly proceed to a jury trial, with Webber’s authorized workforce framing it as a landmark problem to industry-wide practices that exploit sufferers throughout crucial moments of want.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and goals to carry Centene accountable for alleged negligence and shopper fraud.
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