Behavioral health is in the political crosshairs. This series tracks the Trump administration’s proposed policy changes, funding cuts and structural overhauls that could reshape behavioral health care in the U.S. From HHS reorganizations to Medicaid shifts, we’re following what matters — and what’s at stake — for providers, payers and investors. (Last update: April 17, […]
Category: Medicare
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a slight rate increase and a bucketful of other tweaks to the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System and quality reporting provisions related to Medicare payments. CMS said Friday that it is proposing an increase to psychiatric facilities prospective payments via Medicare by 2.4%, net of […]
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been confirmed as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Senate confirmed Kennedy on Thursday in a 52 to 48 vote, mostly along party lines. In his new role, Kennedy will direct $1.7 trillion in federal funds, including those that pay for government health insurance […]
Private equity-backed behavioral health provider PAX Health has acquired Harris Psychiatry Services, a psychiatric care provider specializing in workers’ compensation. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. PAX Health was formed in March 2024 by merging three behavioral health companies: Behavioral Medicine Associates (BMA), Workers Compensation Psychological Network (WCPN) and Reservoir Health. The company […]
Thanks to Talkspace’s (NASDAQ: TALK) new partnerships with public payers, Tricare and Medicare, more individuals now have free access to the company’s assets. The tricky part is garnering awareness about the services. Talkspace is also set to cover 200 million lives and is working to improve awareness that its services may be free for many […]
Vitalic, a new senior-focused behavioral health provider, has hit the market with $4 million in seed funding. Payvider VNS Health and venture capital investment firm Redesign Health are the company’s first investors. Vitalic’s virtual care model focuses on geriatric psychiatry, including therapy, coaching and medication management. “Despite the fact that this population continues to grow, […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has prioritized equitable behavioral health care access, proposing a new rule to cap behavioral health costs for Medicare Advantage members. The proposed rule, scheduled to be published on Dec. 10, would require that Medicare Advantage in-network cost-sharing for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care not exceed […]
The ongoing need for behavioral health services will be no surprise to anyone involved in the industry. Patients continue to have high rates of need and often present with greater acuity. This demand for behavioral health services was reflected across payers’ Q3 earnings calls. The result? Sky-high utilization levels. For example, David Cordani, the CEO […]
LifeStance Health (Nasdaq: LFST) is overhauling its facilities with a new operating model — one that it hopes will strengthen its position ahead of what executives expect to be a rocky 2025. The outpatient mental health giant’s executives project that federal reimbursement rate cuts will challenge the company’s financial progress. LifeStance is banking on momentum […]
The National Quality Forum (NQF) has partnered with a coalition of health plans and the national digital therapy enablement platform Headway to create a new assessment tool that standardizes how behavioral health clinicians measure the progress of care. The behavioral health industry, across specialties, has struggled with a lack of a standardized data measurement set. […]
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