Kaiser Permanente Settles Behavioral Health Access Violations for $200M

Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay a record-setting fine over its mismanagement of behavioral health benefits. In total, Kaiser Permanente must pay $200 million. This includes a $50 million fine, the largest the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) has ever issued, as part of a settlement agreement. Kaiser Permanente has also committed to […]

[Updated] Resilience Lab May Be First of Its Kind to Unionize. Here’s What That Means for the Rest of Behavioral Health

Editor’s note (Feb. 2, 2023): A majority of Resilience Lab clinicians voted in favor of unionization. The mail-in vote was counted by the National Labor Relations Board on Feb. 1. The clinicians will be represented in collective bargaining efforts by District Council 37 of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees. Unprecedented changes […]

SilverCloud Health Unveils New Suite of Behavioral Health Offerings for Families and Youth

Mental health services platform SilverCloud Health is rolling out a suite of offerings to address family health concerns, which comes in the wake of the pandemic and global events. The six-course suite features programs, content and interactive tools that incorporate integrated cognitive behavioral therapy. The suite was piloted through Fountain Valley, California-based MemorialCare, a Los […]

Transactions: Amwell Doubles Down on Behavioral with New Purchases; Cerberus Officially Invests in Lighthouse

Amwell acquires two virtual health care companies After hinting last year at its intentions of acquiring a behavioral health startup, Amwell (NYSE: AMWL) has acquired two virtual care providers, one of which specializes in mental health. The Boston-based telehealth company announced that it has purchased SilverCloud Health and Conversa Health for a combined $320 million. […]

Behavioral Providers’ Role in Shaping Post-COVID Telehealth Rules

Telehealth has been vital in helping behavioral health providers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Regulatory flexibilities and payer leniency are largely to thank for that, but it’s unclear which of those freedoms will remain in place post-pandemic. Behavioral stakeholders from some of the health care industry’s largest organizations believe that data and provider input should ultimately […]

Mental Health Startup Ginger Snags $50M with Investments from Cigna, Kaiser Permanente

On-demand mental health care startup Ginger has raised $50 million in Series D funding, the company announced Thursday. The funding round was led by Advance Venture Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners, with contributions also coming from big names such as Cigna Ventures, Kaiser Permanente Ventures and Jeff Weiner, the executive chairman of LinkedIn. The new […]

Digital Apps Can Help Yield Better Outcomes for Eating Disorder Patients

Patients recovering from eating disorders may benefit when traditional treatment is supplemented with the use of apps, a new study reports. The results, which were published by the American Journal of Psychiatry, could be of interest to eating disorder recovery providers looking for assistance in delivering better patient outcomes. For the study, researchers followed 225 […]

New Educational Initiative Aims to Boost Psychiatric Care Workforce

The demand for behavioral health services nationwide these days is strong, with more than half of Americans seeking assistance for themselves or loved ones. However, the supply of clinicians is not keeping up with the demand for services. In California, where a shortage of behavioral health care workers has made national news in recent years, […]

Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Workers in California Begin Strike

About 4,000 Kaiser Permanente mental health workers in California are striking this week in what they say is an effort to shorten wait times for patients and reduce caseloads for therapists.  The psychologists, therapists, psychiatric nurses and other healthcare professionals involved are members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). The weeklong strike was […]

Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Workers Delay Strike After Death of CEO

Thousands of Kaiser Permanente mental health workers will delay their strike after the sudden death of the company’s CEO. CEO Bernard Tyson died Sunday, just one day before 4,000 psychologists, mental health therapists and other employees belonging to the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) were supposed to go on strike over concerns regarding patient […]