Glossary
Ghost Network
A directory listing providers who are unreachable or not actually accepting patients, reflecting a directory-accuracy failure.
A ghost network describes a situation where a health plan's listings include providers who cannot actually be reached, are no longer in network, or are not taking new patients. To a member, the network looks larger and more accessible than it really is, which undermines genuine access to care. Ghost networks are usually a symptom of poor provider data management and stale provider directory information, and they can cause a plan to fall short of network adequacy standards even when its directory looks robust.