Brightside Health has announced new payer partnerships with major plans to provide members with mental health care.
Already partnering with Optum, Lucet and others, Brightside said it now has partnerships with CareOregon, Blue Shield of California, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) Centene and traditional Medicare.
Medicaid members will be served in the CareOregon contract and the Nebraska Total Care Medicaid contract under its Centene relationship. Medicare Advantage members can access Brightside Health resources through WellCare Medicare Advantage, BSC and BCBSTX. The company's partnerships in traditional Medicare will be strengthened in Arizona, California, Delaware, New York, Texas and Washington.
“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, in a statement.
In October, the provider said its coverage network would serve 50 million people in Medicare and Medicaid, growing its total reach to 100 million people.
“No mental health platform is complete without addressing the needs of Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, and these partnerships will provide access to life-saving mental health care for millions more people,” said Brad Kittredge, co-founder and CEO of Brightside Health. “We are scaling quickly to ensure access to high-quality, measurably better mental health treatment."
Brightside helps members with clinical depression, anxiety and other mood disorders through appointments in two days or less. The company pointed to research showing that suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were higher among Medicaid members than private insurance beneficiaries. For Medicare members, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has said 25% of members experience mental illness.