UnitedHealth CEO Exit: Implications for Behavioral Health Under Renewed Value-Based Focus

UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) CEO Andrew Witty has announced his plans to step down after leading the health care giant through a period of turmoil, citing “personal reasons.” The company’s former CEO, Stephen Hemsley, will return to the role effective immediately. In addition to his leadership role, Hemsley will remain the chairman of UnitedHealth Group’s […]

Carelon Behavioral Health Sued Over ‘Ghost Network’ Allegations

Another Elevance Health (NYSE: ELV) entity has been sued over allegations that it is operating a harmful “ghost network” of behavioral health providers in the state of New York. The law firms Pollock Cohen LLP and Walden Macht Haran & Williams LLP have filed suit against Carelon Behavioral Health in the U.S. District Court for […]

Why Treating Behavioral Health Like ‘Small Potatoes’ Is Costing Payers Big

Payers could be better aligning their incentives with behavioral health patients and providers by giving parity more room to breathe within their organizations. Payers often bury the duty of ensuring behavioral health-physical health parity in a compliance or legal department. Such a structure prevents the necessary cultural and strategic alignment that payers need to establish […]

New Partnership Propels Lyra Past Employer Models, Jump-Starts Rogers’ Virtual Care Capabilities

Not-for-profit behavioral health care provider Rogers Behavioral Health and for-profit workforce mental health provider Lyra Health have forged an alliance. The collaboration, announced Tuesday, gives Lyra access to Rogers’ health plan networks while allowing Rogers to scale its virtual services using Lyra’s national footprint. For Rogers and Lyra executives, the most important aspect of the […]

‘Not For the Faint of Heart’: What Makes (or Breaks) Mental Health Payer Pilots 

Fostering successful pilots with health plans is critical for digital mental health startups. These relationships can promise significant promise for providers and payers, but a negative outcome can mean wasted time and resources. While risk is an inherent part of a trial run for a digital mental health provider, both health care companies and payers […]

Bicycle Health Reaches Profitability Milestone, Secures $16.5M for Sustainable Growth and M&A

Virtual opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment provider Bicycle Health has achieved profitability after abandoning its “growth at all costs” mindset and streamlining its business model. The company is now set for long-term, disciplined growth, including acquiring other providers, founder and CEO Ankit Gupta told Addiction Treatment Business. Bicycle will use funds from a new $16.5 […]

What Transcarent’s $621M Acquisition of Accolade Means for Behavioral Health

Digital health platform and investor darling Transcarent has acquired Accolade (Nasdaq: ACCD), a personalized health and benefits company that offers virtual-first integrated care, including behavioral health services. Transcarent announced on Wednesday that it would acquire Accolade for $7.03 per share in cash, a total equity value of approximately $621 million. The artificial intelligence (AI)-forward companies […]

Eating Disorder Outlook 2025: M&A On the Rise, GLP-1s Impact Treatment 

The eating disorder treatment sector has transformed dramatically in the past few years, with 2025 poised to bring further disruption through virtual care expansion, market consolidation and evolving patient needs. This evolution is occurring on the heels of a string of notable eating disorder treatment facility closures in 2023 and 2024.  Despite the shuttering of […]

Payers Navigate Behavioral Health’s Confusing, Growing Market

Payer partnerships are essential to successfully scaling a behavioral health organization. However, the landscape of those partnerships is quickly changing as payers deal with an uptick in behavioral health utilization and value-based care contracting grows in popularity. Additionally, payers are increasingly looking for a continuum of services. Historically, payers used a carve-out model for behavioral […]