Dive Brief:

Centene is being sued for wrongful death after one of its members died after failing to get the mental healthcare he needed because of the insurer’s inadequate provider networks, according to the lawsuit filed by the member’s mother.

The suit, filed late May in the Superior Court of Maricopa County in Arizona, accuses Centene’s subsidiary in the state, Health Net, of maintaining “ghost networks” — wherein insurers say providers are in network that aren’t, inflating the care options available under their plans to the detriment of actual access.

As a result, Centene violated state and federal laws requiring network accuracy and adequacy, according to the suit, which also accuses the St. Louis-based payer of negligence and fraud. Centene did not respond to a request for comm

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