What You Should Know:
- Brightside Health today announced new and expanded payer partnerships to support Medicaid and Medicare.
- The news comes just months after the company – which serves individuals with mild-to-severe clinical depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders – shared that it would begin serving 50 million Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries. These underserved populations will have access to all of Brightside Health’s life-saving mental health care services; this includes psychiatry, therapy, and its award-winning Crisis Care program for individuals with elevated suicide risk, which has demonstrated impressive results in its first year already.
Recent Developments in Healthcare Contracts and Mental Health Statistics
Today’s updates encompass the following developments:
– CareOregon: Secures a new contract to cater to Medicaid beneficiaries.
– Blue Shield of California: Secures a new contract to serve Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.
– Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas: Expands its contract to encompass Medicare Advantage services.
– Traditional Medicare: Extends coverage to include regions in Texas, California, Delaware, Arizona, New York, and Washington.
– Centene: Progresses with state-by-state expansion, including the addition of Nebraska Total Care Medicaid and Wellcare Medicare Advantage.
According to a recent study published in Psychiatry Research, the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts is notably higher among Medicaid recipients compared to those with private insurance. Moreover, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported that 25% of the 65 million Americans enrolled in Medicare experience mental illness. This underscores the urgent necessity to deliver high-quality mental health care to these underserved populations.
“We are continuously seeking ways to improve the lives of our members, and Brightside Health’s telemental health platform enhances psychiatric service accessibility, particularly for individuals who need access to high-quality medication services and urgent care for individuals with suicidal thoughts,” said Adam Proctor, Plan President and CEO at Nebraska Total Care, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation. “We look forward to the positive impact of this partnership and the additional access to psychiatric services that it brings to our members.”
