CareSource and Wayspring Launch In-Home Program for Substance Use Disorder Population

Nonprofit health plan CareSource has announced a partnership with value-based addiction treatment company Wayspring to launch an in-home care program for substance use disorder (SUD).

The program – which is billed as the first of its kind – will initially be rolled out in Indiana and will be available to Medicaid enrollees in 25 counties in the central part of the state.

Medicaid is the nation’s largest payor of behavioral health services, which includes SUD treatment.

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“The process of accessing and completing proper treatment and care for substance use disorder was greatly hindered during the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic,” CareSource Indiana President Steve Smitherman said in a statement. “Simultaneously, the number of vulnerable [Indiana residents] within these populations greatly increased as well as the barriers standing in their way of receiving assistance.”

As part of the partnership, Wayspring will integrate its clinical and peer recovery team with CareSource’s team of case management workers to promote data sharing, shared problem-solving and clinical rounds. 

The program will provide care coordination to individuals during high-risk care transitions, particularly to outpatient services and early recovery periods. The program will also connect clients with a primary care provider to detect and manage medical conditions.

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Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Wayspring – which raised $75 million in 2021 – primarily works with a network of SUD treatment organizations to connect customers to a variety of services including behavioral health, community-based peer support and primary care.

The company was founded in 2012 and was initially known as axialHealthcare before rebranding itself last year. 

“The challenges that our communities and individuals with SUD face have never been greater, and the stakes have never been higher,” Wayspring CEO Carter Paine said. “Through this innovative partnership with CareSource, we will work together to solve the complex social, medical and behavioral needs of this population with a community-based service offering.”

As part of the new SUD home program, CareSource’s care management team will help craft an individualized care plan and assist members with matters such as transportation, appointment scheduling and housing. The program also promises to prioritize the management of high-risk individuals through the use of virtual and in-person behavioral health offered by Wayspring, as well as through primary care and addiction medicine services.

CareSource, which is based in Dayton, Ohio, is one of the nation’s largest Medicaid managed care plans and also offers Medicare Advantage plans. The company serves 2 million members in Ohio, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.

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