Shared Savings in Behavioral Health: A Realistic Approach to Value-Based Care

Fee-for-service reimbursement models incentivize behavioral health providers to deliver more services – in some instances, even when medically unnecessary, some would point out. Value-based care – paying for quality and outcomes instead of volume – has been heralded as the behavioral health industry’s path away from fee-for-service models. Challenges, including tension between health plans and […]

Unlocking Better Outcomes: Data-Driven Measurement’s Role in Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Measurement-based care has been hailed by payers and providers as essential to promoting evidence-based, individualized treatment. Substance use disorder (SUD) providers hoping to craft new reimbursement arrangements or improve patient outcomes must establish robust internal measurement systems. Collecting patient data alone does not drive change, however. Providers must also leverage their findings to adjust treatment […]

SUD Treatment Providers Brace for Changes as Telehealth Flexibilities Near Expiration Date

The federal government has extended COVID-era telehealth flexibilities twice since their creation. These flexibilities are now set to expire in December 2024, putting “life-saving” care at risk, behavioral health industry insiders caution. Some substance use disorder (SUD) providers are now making plans to pivot their clinical models if flexibilities are not cemented, partnering with local […]

Soar Autism Center Secures $19M Funding Round 

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) and autism diagnosis provider Soar Autism Center has clinched $19.3 million in a funding round. The provider was seeking a total of $20 million, according to SEC documents. Denver, Colorado-based Soar Autism Center provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy based on the early start Denver model (ESDM) to children aged 6 and […]

HOPE Therapeutics to Build $100M Ketamine Clinic Business via M&A 

Ketamine therapy provider HOPE Therapeutics announced it plans to acquire five ketamine clinics and reach $100 million in annual revenue in less than a year. HOPE Therapeutics, a subsidiary of NRx Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: NRXP), announced on Monday that it has secured $30 million in debt to finance the acquisitions. The company is apparently targeting five […]

Most Parents Want Early Biomarker Testing for Autism 

Most parents of infants would welcome predictive testing for autism as young as six months old. That’s despite autism services presently being unavailable for children within that age range, according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.  “Key insights into the potential benefits and harms of autism prediction in infancy can […]

‘Nobody Is Going to Fight Getting a Child Treated’: Payers More Open to Covering TMS

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is becoming a more viable option for the treatment of depression in youth and adults, providing hope for those with treatment-resistant depression.  Of the roughly 22 million American adults who experienced a major depressive episode in 2023, about 30% have treatment-resistant depression, meaning that multiple medications have failed to alleviate their […]

AI Shows ‘Robust’ Success in Identifying Early-Life Autism from EHR, Background Data

Early diagnosis of autism is vital to improving outcomes and typically occurs around age 5 years. A new artificial intelligence system has now been shown to predict autism earlier in life by using minimal health information. Researchers used a machine learning model to correctly identify 79% of children with autism, according to a new study […]

How Addiction Providers Are Integrating Services for Co-Occurring Conditions

Many behavioral health providers have traditionally operated in silos, leaving patients to navigate a fragmented system of care for substance use disorders (SUDs), mental illnesses and other co-occurring conditions.  SUD providers are now working to break down these barriers and offer more comprehensive, holistic treatments that address the full spectrum of a patient’s needs by […]

Economically Disadvantaged Communities Less Likely To Have Buprenorphine Access

Quick access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is crucial to reducing the impact of the opioid crisis. However, certain communities are more likely to have access to these medications than others. Pharmacies in socially and economically disadvantaged counties are 2.66 times more likely to restrict buprenorphine dispensing compared to the most privileged counties, […]