Arizona patients deal with ‘ghost networks’ through state Medicaid program

PHOENIX - Joseph DeMarco was about to turn 19 when he first showed the signs of a severe mental health condition.

By then, his family had already switched insurance plans from Tricare, a health plan for military personnel, retirees and their families, to Mercy Care, a large nonprofit insurer that contracts with AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid program.

Joseph’s mother, Seetha DeMarco, said they never struggled to find mental health providers under Tricare.

“There was a large list, the carrier was very easy to work with,” said DeMarco, a mother of three and a behavioral health professional. “I didn’t contact a provider that was no longer enrolled with Tricare.”

Things changed after the switch, she said.

“Each and every time I’ve contacted Mercy Care to identify a provider in the network, the