An Arizona mother is suing her late son's health insurer, claiming its false and outdated provider listings led to months of failed attempts to access mental health care, resulting in his death.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.
On May 23, 2025, Barbara Webber filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County against Ambetter's parent company, Centene, and its Arizona-based subsidiary, Health Net of Arizona. The complaint accuses the companies of violating state and federal law by maintaining inaccurate provider directories and misleading customers about available care.
The suit draws heavily from a 2024 ProPublica investigation that exposed systemic issues within Centene's networks, including multiple prior warnings from Arizona regulators about the same concerns. Despite being notified, Health Net of Arizona faced no fines and regulators did not confirm if corrections were ever made.
Neither Centene nor Health Net of Arizona have responded to the lawsuit or prior requests for comment from ProPublica. The case will likely proceed to a jury trial, with Webber's legal team framing it as a landmark challenge to industry-wide practices that exploit patients during critical moments of need.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and aims to hold Centene accountable for alleged negligence and consumer fraud.
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