Payer Demands for Access Set the Bar for Value-Based Care ‘Really Low’

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. […]

‘I Never Thought of It as A Business’: Closures Reveal Shakiness of the Traditional Eating Disorder Industry

Residential eating disorder treatment facilities are becoming somewhat of an endangered species. Over the last few months, the industry has seen a string of closures. Patients and payers have increasingly opted for virtual care models, shrinking the pool of patients residential treatment centers could serve in the first place. That pool was small to begin […]

CVS Doubles Down on Health Services Strategy, Leaving the Door Open for Behavioral Health Integration

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is leaning into its health services efforts, which include several behavioral health programs. Part of that means reprioritizing which parts of the business to grow, contributing to CVS cutting thousands of corporate jobs this week. Specifically, CVS is doubling down on integrating its newly acquired assets, home health company Signify and […]

Behavioral Health Companies Looking to Grow Their Enterprise Business ‘Still Need to Build The D2C Acquisition Muscle’

Several digital behavioral health companies are making the move from direct-to-consumer to business-to-business models, looking to create a larger market share. While a B2B approach may lead to a more extensive client base, companies looking to make the leap must be prepared to add higher privacy standards and the proven ROI that corporate entities expect. […]

‘We’re Just Beginning This Journey’: CVS Going Full-Steam Ahead with MinuteClinic Mental Health Strategy

With more than 1,000 locations across the U.S., CVS MinuteClinics have gained in popularity among patients for treating non-emergent physical health conditions. MinuteClinics are now doubling down on their behavioral health efforts, too. CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) announced that six Los Angeles-based MinuteClinics would staff licensed mental health professionals. This entrance into the California market […]

‘It’s Extremely Difficult’: Payvider Models Demonstrate How Far Behavioral Health Integration Challenges Go

The struggles of Optum and CVS Health Inc. (NYSE: CVS), two of the country’s largest health organizations, to integrate assets into a cohesive “payvider” model illustrates the deep challenge of creating value-based care models.  Optum, the health services division of UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH), and CVS Health, which owns Aetna, one of the largest […]

Optum, Aetna and UHS Leaders Offer ‘Outcomes Roadmap’ for Value-Based Contracting

Behavioral health providers have lagged behind their physical health counterparts in measuring outcomes. But that may soon change, industry insiders believe, as payers pressure providers to show more data before raising rates or negotiating value-based contracts. Even so, collecting the correct data to prove outcomes isn’t just on behavioral health companies. A true outcomes-based approach […]

CVS Prioritizes Mental Health in New Health Equity Program

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) has partnered with three local health providers in an effort to improve the mental health and heart health of underserved communities in Detroit and Chicago. The partnerships form the CVS Health Community Equity Alliance, the healthcare conglomerate said on Monday. The alliance seeks to bring CVS Health funding and insights in […]