The Behavioral Health Deal Slump May Be Overblown 

Fears for a sluggish 2023 may have been overblown. “Aggressive” deals are still being made, though they may be smaller than in years past.  That’s according to industry insiders at Behavioral Health Business’ 2023 INVEST conference. Lenders and issues with access to capital drove lower transaction volumes in 2023, Kevin Taggart, managing partner at Mertz […]

SUD Provider Bradford Health’s New CEO Plans Geographic Expansion

Substance use disorder (SUD) treatment provider Bradford Health named behavioral health care vet Lisa Evans its new CEO. Evans has a decade of experience in the behavioral health field and previously served as chief operations officer at Alpharetta, Georgia-based behavioral health provider Perimeter Healthcare. She is tackling her new role at Bradford with a people-first […]

Elevance Plans to ‘Take Full Risk’ By Tackling Serious Mental Illnesses

Elevance Health Inc.’s (NYSE: ELV) health care services arm, Carelon, experienced a boost in operating gain in 2023 thanks to the company’s behavioral health business, among other factors.  Carelon’s operating gain increased by $9 million from the second to third quarter of 2023, according to Elevance’s third-quarter earnings call. The insurer also announced plans to […]

PE-Backed Hightop Health Launches Outpatient Mental Health Platform with Atlanta Acquisition

A new outpatient mental health provider Hightop Health has entered the behavioral health space. Backed by private equity firms JLL Partners and SV Health Investors, Hightop offers an outpatient mental health platform that uses an integrative and measurement-based approach to care. The launch coincides with the news of Hightop’s first acquisition. The provider has purchased […]

‘The Measures We Have Are Insufficient’: New Tools Are Needed For Measurement-Based Care 

Payers have increasingly pushed for measurement-based care, but experts question whether the behavioral health industry has the tools to broadly implement the practice. Measurement-based care, in which clinical data is collected throughout treatment, may increase the likelihood that a patient receives evidence-based care. Implementing the practice requires a whole-person approach that includes contextualization and cultural […]

‘You Can’t Stay Like This Forever’: Buyers Becoming More Skittish in Behavioral Health M&A

M&A activity in the behavioral health space has slowed down significantly in recent years, dropping to pre-pandemic levels. The behavioral health industry is not alone in this, Dexter Braff, president of M&A advisory firm The Braff Group, said at Behavioral Health Business’ INVEST conference. External factors, including inflation, staffing shortages, fear of recession and unrest […]

56% of Patients Seeking OUD Care Started Using Through Legal Prescription

More than 86% of 2.7 million people in the U.S. living with opioid use disorder do not receive medication for opioid use disorder treatment (MOUD). This treatment can reduce withdrawal symptoms, prevent overdoses and support long-term recovery. New data from Bicycle Health, a virtual opioid use disorder provider, revealed details about the populations that do […]

‘It’s a Question of Diversification’: ABA Providers May Need to Become More Risk-Averse

Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy has become one of the most notable behavioral approaches to autism treatment, offering different locations of care to fit the specific needs of patients. Capitalizing on ABA’s versatile modalities may be the safest bet when creating a sustainable business model. Patients with autism can receive ABA therapy at a clinic, […]

Spring Health Partners With Eleanor Health, Announces Collaboration with Highmark Health

In recent years, employers have seen substance use disorder (SUD) claims increase. New York-based Spring Health is looking to address this issue by partnering with Eleanor Health.  Spring launched its SUD program in 2021 and continued to expand its offerings, partly through partnerships with other SUD providers. The partnership with Eleanor is Spring’s latest effort […]

‘An Economic Incentive to Care’: Improving Behavioral Health Equity Boosts Bottom Lines

Payers and employers often have a blind spot when it comes to addressing inequities in behavioral health. But ignoring mental health care inequities can increase overall health care costs.   An analysis from Deloitte suggested that inequities have led to $320 billion in annual health care spending — “signaling an unsustainable crisis for the industry.” That figure […]