Under 10% Of Calls To Commercial Health Plan Mental Health Providers Resulted In Appointments

Only 9.1% of 5,822 calls to mental health professionals listed in six commercial health insurers’ provider directories resulted in an appointment being offered with the requested professional. The secret shopper study, conducted between October 2025 and March 2026, found that incorrect directory information, unanswered calls, and practices not accepting new patients were common barriers to scheduling care. When callers were willing to see another professional at the same practice, the appointment rate increased to 12.4%.

More than 60% of calls ended without a clear answer, often because callers reached voicemail or an automated system. Of the 2 . . .