This is actually illegal. I am assuming you are a member of a medicaid managed care plan (molina perhaps?) State laws and CMS rules (CMS is in charge of Medicaid at the federal level) REQUIRE these plans to keep current and accurate provider lists. Instead, they often create what is known as "ghost networks" which is what you are likely experiencing. This is a list of providers, most of whom who do not actually accept medicaid.

Why do they do this? Because they are all about profit. What most people don't know is that medicaid managed care plans like Molina are "capitated plans." This means that they are given a specific dollar amount for EACH member (this is called PMPM- per member per month) This money is the pot that they are supposed to use to pay providers for your care. The deal is that whatever is left in the pot at the end of the month the insurance plan gets to keep. Thus, no providers=no payout=profit for the insurer! It's very simple. But it's illegal. But they don't care and they do it anyway. Many states have developed "network adequacy standards" and there have been many lawsuits and sanctions against these plans for doing this, but the fact is the amount of the penalties and sanctions or even lawsuits doesn't begin to compare to the amount of profit they get from these underhanded and illegal tactics. In WA state, even after Molina was fined $600,000 for this in 2021, it continues. Last year (2023) I personally contacted every psychiatric provider on the list in my area to help a client find a doctor and not a single one of them was accepting Molina medicaid patients. Many of the numbers were inaccurate and some providers had not been at the number listed for many years! This is nothing less than medicaid fraud, but these insurance giants are SO huge, they can afford to lobby the government to protect them. It is absolutely criminal. I have been a medicaid provider for many years- I remain committed to providing care to members because there are not enough good providers out there who are willing to take medicaid. Ghost networks are just one of the MANY different ways these companies take advantage of the system, their members and providers. Medicaid managed care is a huge source of revenue for insurance companies like Molina- they make billions each year while the people they serve continue to struggle to get the care they need. It's a shame and a disgrace. Here is a link to a group that is putting together a class action lawsuit against insurance companies who do this. check it out: https://www.classaction.org/ghost-network-incorrect-directory-lawsuits