Private-Public Partnerships Offer Behavioral Health Providers Instant Patient Population

To address rising youth mental health needs, public agencies are partnering with digital behavioral health companies to expand access to support services. For public entities, including schools and health departments, it’s a way to offer behavioral health access at scale. These public-private partnerships can be mutually beneficial, expanding the reach of digital behavioral health providers […]

Mental Health Executive Forecast: New Business Models, AI and Value-Based Care to Define Industry in 2024

The mental health industry is pivoting after the market’s rapid expansion related to COVID-era telehealth and increased demand for behavioral health services. Mental health providers are now seeking new methods of care, including AI-enabled tools, to improve existing mental health treatment frameworks, industry insiders told Behavioral Health Business. Mental health companies are also seeking new […]

‘This Isn’t Just a Payer Problem’: Health Plans and Providers Must Jointly Address Ghost Networks

More than 80% of mental health provider listings on Medicare Advantage (MA) directories are inaccurate or unavailable. That’s according to a recent secret shopper study conducted by the Senate Committee on Finance. These inaccurate provider directories, also known as “ghost networks,” can cause patients to get pinned down by large out-of-pocket bills and clinicians to […]

Providers Say Evidence-Based Care May Be Lip Service

Many behavioral health providers, including Lyra Health, Pyramid and Recovery Centers of America, boast that they offer “evidence-based” care. Evidence-based care typically means that clinicians have been trained in research-backed practices, but there is no consensus in the industry. Thus, the term “evidence-based” may be as helpful in determining quality of care as the “natural” […]

Falling Valuations, Less Competition Make Behavioral Health Deals ‘More Attractive’ to Investors

Despite the sky-high interest rates, this could be the prime time for behavioral health acquisitions.  The demand for services remains high and the elevated interest rates mean that valuations are coming back down to earth. While de novo growth strategies have dominated the behavioral health domain in 2023, some investors see this moment as an […]

‘Payer Ghosting’ Further Straining Behavioral Health-Health Plan Relationship

Dating slang is helping behavioral health professionals describe a troubling evolution in payer relations. Payer ghosting. In dating, someone “ghosts” another person when they abruptly stop communicating despite previous interest. In this context, payer ghosting occurs when payers stonewall providers on claim reimbursement. This can be a trickier challenge for providers than the typical payer […]

Behavioral Health Regulatory Outlook: Fight Over Parity, Changes to Telehealth Spill into 2024

Parity will likely be the defining regulatory issue of 2024 as the behavioral health industry braces for the impact of the Biden administration’s to-be-finalized rule. Still, there is plenty to sort out with just 44 days left in 2023. This includes other pending regulatory issues that could be addressed before the end of the year. […]

Autism One-Stop Shops Improve Patient Care, But Can’t Cover Everything

Many health services are designed for neurotypical people, which can make it difficult for people with autism and other neurodiverse conditions to access offerings, such as primary care and dental care. But more autism providers are looking to tackle this issue by integrating specialized medical care under their roofs. Creating a “one-stop shop” for autism […]

Inside The Competitive But Fragmented World of IDD Dealmaking

The intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) field may be one of the most complex and fragmented segments of the behavioral health industry. That has not prevented IDD providers, however, from driving an impressive number of deals. That includes both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. “Having run and operated within all verticals of behavioral health, IDD is […]

Converting Facilities From Skilled Nursing to Behavioral Health May Save Money, Time

When it comes to creating new behavioral health facilities, buying used may be a better bet than building new. Adaptive reuse conversions involve transforming buildings previously used for another purpose into behavioral health facilities. An increasing portion of the facilities adapted to behavioral health uses are skilled nursing facilities (SNF) or assisted living facilities. If […]