The American Psychological Association (APA) is asking states and insurers to temporarily remove roadblocks that make it harder for mental health providers to offer telehealth services. Doing so is especially important in light of COVID-19, the APA says. “This is an extraordinary public health crisis with vast and unpredictable implications for the nation’s mental health,” […]
Category: Commercial
While more and more employers are offering mental health benefits, that doesn’t always translate into opportunities for traditional behavioral health providers. Many companies opt to provide the benefits through app-based solutions that specialize in remote coaching and stress-reduction, with trendy startups like Headspace and Ginger winning business from corporate giants such as Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX), […]
A care optimization platform that helps patients, providers and health plans navigate substance use disorder (SUD) has raised $15 million in Series C funding. The money will be used to accelerate axialHealthcare’s expansion into the SUD treatment and recovery sector, according to a press release announcing the news. Oak HC/FT, .406 Ventures, BlueCross BlueShield Venture […]
Anthem (NYSE: ANTM) has completed its acquisition of Beacon Health Options. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Prior to the deal, Boston-based Beacon billed itself as the largest independently held behavioral health organization in the country, serving more than 36 million people nationwide. Meanwhile, Indianapolis-based Anthem — which first announced it would buy […]
Most behavioral health providers agree it’s a good thing: The federal government continues to funnel more money into behavioral health initiatives, such as fighting the opioid epidemic and funding certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHC). But as providers find themselves with more federal dollars, they’re also more likely to face increased scrutiny over their practices, […]
The co-founder of a Pennsylvania addiction rehab center has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for his role in an “elaborate” insurance scheme, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The scheme fraudulently billed insurers for more than $100 million, local newspaper The Intelligencer reported. Defendant Branden Coluccio entered the plea […]
In America today, the need for more substance use disorder (SUD) interventions is clear. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, and the alcohol-related death rate was twice what it was 20 years earlier. Those statistics don’t include nearly 20 million others who did not die but still battled SUD that year. […]
Lawmakers in one state have introduced two new bills designed to improve and expand insurance coverage for behavioral health services. The legislation was proposed Tuesday in California, a state that frequently sets legislative trends known to catch on nationwide. The bills in question — Senate Bill 854 and Senate Bill 855 — target private insurance […]
The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) is kicking off the new decade with a new leader. Shawn Coughlin took over as president and CEO of the trade association Jan. 1, following the retirement of the organization’s long-time leader Mark Covall, who headed up NABH for the past 24 years. With Coughlin at the helm, […]
The one-time owner of more than a dozen Los Angeles-area substance abuse treatment centers has been indicted on charges he operated a massive $175 million billing scheme. Robert Bathum, who has called himself the “Rehab Mogul,” pleaded no contest Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court to 14 felony counts of grand theft, insurance fraud, […]