UnitedHealth Group must reprocess about 67,000 behavioral health care claims that it previously denied, a federal judge ordered on Nov. 3. The ruling comes after a years-long legal battle, which is centered around more than 50,000 patients who were beneficiaries of UnitedHealthcare’s United Behavioral Health (UBH) between 2011 and 2016. During that time, their behavioral […]
Category: Commercial
Aetna has expanded its partnership with Inpathy, an online behavioral health company, to bring behavioral services to members in Illinois, Texas and Florida. Headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, Aetna is owned by CVS Health (NYSE: CVS). The managed health care company has been working with Inpathy to bring its members virtual behavioral health care services since […]
While telehealth technology has long been available, COVID-19 is responsible for finally forcing its widespread adoption. Behavioral health providers and payers seem to agree: There’s no turning back now. While virtual care is likely here to stay, it’s unclear what role it will play in the behavioral health industry going forward. However, stakeholders predict improved […]
Anthem (NYSE: ANTM) is putting more money toward growing its artificial intelligence and digital capabilities. The move is likely indicative of the insurer’s long-term plan to continue virtual behavioral health care delivery even post-pandemic. “The way that care is going to be accessed here in the future is slightly different than how it has been […]
Humana (NYSE: HUM) is tackling substance use disorder (SUD) among pregnant women with its latest investment. It’s just another example of the insurance giant’s commitment to creativity in the behavioral health space, according to Chief Medical Officer William Shrank. “None of us can solve these really, really big problems alone,” Shrank told Behavioral Health Business. […]
The health insurance giant Cigna (NYSE:CI) has long expressed interest in remote behavioral health care delivery. It’s first big commitment came back in 2017, when the insurer rolled out its virtual care network, creating a system of thousands of behavioral providers able to deliver care remotely. In the years that followed, Cigna slowly continued to […]
Slowly but surely, insurers appear to be shifting from using process measures to outcome measures when it comes to assessing quality in behavioral health care. Now, it seems the coronavirus could help accelerate that movement, thanks in large part to the momentum the virus has given telehealth. At least, Stephen Friedoff — SVP of clinical […]
California has passed a law to improve residents’ access to behavioral health care coverage. It’s a move that could set the stage for nationwide change. The law in question defines “medical necessity” for mental health and substance use disorder treatment, no longer leaving it up to insurance companies to create their own definitions. California Gov. […]
In the past four years, health plans affiliated with Anthem (NYSE: ANTM) have more than doubled the percentage of members receiving whole-person medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD). Four years ago, the insurer found that only 18% of consumers were receiving both drug therapy and counseling services as part of their MAT […]
Recovery Centers of America (RCA) — a private equity-backed substance use disorder (SUD) treatment provider based in the Northeast — has opened its first Midwestern location. The new facility in suburban Chicago started accepting patients Tuesday. The organization plans to expand its presence in the heartland even further later this year. Based in St. Charles, […]