CVS Health Ventures Leads $25M Investment in Array Behavioral Care

Behavioral health tech company Array Behavioral Care closed a $25 million funding round led by CVS Health Ventures, the investment arm of health care giant CVS Health Corp. (NYSE: CVS).  On top of providing capital for scaling efforts, the funding round brings Array Behavioral Care closer to CVS Health. Array has previously partnered with CVS […]

CMS to Mandate Marketplace Plans Cover Mental Health Facilities, SUD Treatment Centers

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new proposal that would require health plans offered through the federal and state-based marketplaces to cover mental health facilities and substance use disorder treatment centers.  The new proposal, announced Monday, would make these two types of facilities essential community providers (ECPs). It would […]

UnitedHealth Group COO: Behavioral Health Among Key ‘Building Blocks’ to Integrated Care

Behavioral health plays some role in nearly every division of UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH). UnitedHealth Group has made creating all-in-one service platforms a top priority in each of its divisions. This integrates behavioral health into the health care conglomerate’s clinical and benefits segments, company executives said during its 2022 investor day event. UnitedHealth Group […]

Big Payers Want Behavioral Health Partners That Can Be More Than ‘A Flash In the Pan’

Behavioral health point solutions are increasingly looking to make lucrative payer partnerships. Payers, too, are interested in the prospect of partnering with digital health companies to provide more behavioral health services to their members. But there can be a culture clash between the two entities. Thus, it’s crucial to have aligned goals, outcomes and expectations, […]

BCBS Entity Horizon Healthcare Launches Behavioral Health Integration Subsidiary

Horizon Healthcare Services launched a new behavioral health integration service called NovaWell. Announced Monday, NovaWell’s services are designed to help health plans and health systems accelerate behavioral health integration within their existing systems. Horizon Healthcare Services owns the license for and operates Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ). Several Horizon BCBSNJ […]

UHS CFO: Tough Talk With Payers Has Paid Off

Aggressive negotiating tactics have given Universal Health Services Inc (NYSE: UHS) high commercial reimbursement rate increases. Steve Filton, UHS’ CFO, said as much on Thursday during a Credit Suisse conference. Leaders of the national acute and behavioral health care provider have talked about using capacity limitations and inflation as negotiating leverage for months. This tough […]

What Cigna’s Evernorth Plans Mean for Behavioral Health

Cigna Corp. (NYSE: CI) will double down on Evernorth as part of its growth plan. Evernorth is the health care services division of the Bloomfield, Connecticut-based insurer. Through Evernorth and its insurance plan business, Cigna is more and more relevant in the behavioral health space. Cigna has more than doubled Evernorth’s behavioral health network — […]

Clarity on Digital Therapeutics Reimbursement Could Lead to More Behavioral Health Adoption

After years of reimbursement uncertainty, the digital therapeutics industry is beginning to see newfound clarity. Within the last year, digital therapeutics, which are evidence-based treatments delivered through software interventions to treat or manage a condition, have made inroads with both commercial insurers and Medicaid. Earlier this year, state Medicaid programs in Massachusetts and Oklahoma announced […]

Payer Interest Is Driving Behavioral Health Consolidation

Behavioral health consolidation will accelerate as payers deepen their involvement and increase their focus on the industry. The last decade or so — accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic — has seen an influx in capital and professionalization in the fragmented behavioral health industry. But as behavioral health becomes increasingly relevant in the wider health care […]