2024 could prove pivotal for virtual behavioral health as the federal government considers making COVID-era telehealth flexibilities permanent. Federal and state regulations can heavily influence the availability of behavioral telehealth appointments. For behavioral health providers who provide care to Medicaid beneficiaries, or who prescribe controlled substances for conditions like substance use disorders (SUDs), regulations can […]
Federal lawmakers are taking another stab at increasing funding for behavioral health expenditures in the Medicaid program. A version of the Medicaid Bump Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate and Congress on March 12. The bill would create financial incentives for states to elevate spending on behavioral health beyond levels in 2019. Specifically, it […]
State Medicaid programs and their managed care organization (MCO) partners are amenable to value-based care contracting. However, misconceptions remain as the industry navigates the early stages of value-based care adoption. This openness allows companies to come to the table with new or different approaches to contracting, opening the door to escaping the fee-for-service paradigm. “The […]
Behavioral health provider Quartet has launched a new program in partnership with Medicare plan Clover Health (Nasdaq: CLOV) focused on serving patients with serious mental illness (SMI). As part of the partnership, Quartet will work with Clover’s Home Care division to provide services to members in Clover’s high-need cohorts. Specifically, Quartet will roll out its […]
Despite years of discourse surrounding value-based care and behavioral health, payers remain fixated on access as the primary concern. Meanwhile, outcomes data and measurement-based care, which have dominated the value-based conversation over the past few years, will likely be important to contracting in a few years. “By bringing access [to members], you bring value,” Dr. […]
With the growing senior population and rising mental health and substance use issues among this demographic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) are looking for new approaches to address behavioral health concerns. Roughly 20% of people over the age of 55 have experienced a behavioral health issue, according to the CDC. In order to […]
Last week Cigna’s (NYSE:CI) health service division Evernorth furthered its reach into the mental health sector with the launch of a new behavioral health group. The hybrid behavioral health group, launched with over 1,000 clinicians, will focus on value-based and measurement-based care. Using virtual provider Octave’s technology suite, Evernorth plans to fully scale the service […]
Cigna’s (NYSE:CI) health service division Evernorth has launched a new behavioral health care group. Evernorth Behavioral Health Group will launch with over 1,000 clinicians and guarantee patients an appointment within 72 hours. According to Evernorth data, the industry average wait time is 48 days. “When I think about the impetus of the care group, it’s […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released a new guidance to State Medicaid Directors, opening the door to a larger pool of providers to offer care to beneficiaries and adding a new nurse advice line. As part of the guidance, a new group of behavioral health providers, including master’s level social workers, marriage and […]
In 2024, Talkspace (Nasdaq: TALK) will focus on expanding its services to teenagers and seniors via new partnerships with schools and municipalities, as well as broadening its reach within the Medicare program. Talkspace, which started as a direct-to-consumer company, continues to double down on its payer partnerships and direct-to-enterprise (DTE) strategy. Part of that strategy […]
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