Independence Blue Cross expands member options for faster access to behavioral health services, to support their whole health journey

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Independence Blue Cross (IBX) has expanded its covered behavioral health offerings, which include mental health and substance use disorder services and member programs, to better support members' whole health. The offerings get members the type of care they need faster and give them a wider range of clinicians to choose from.

"As part of our commitment to equitable whole-person health, we have prioritized expanding access to behavioral health care across our community," said Dr. Rodrigo Cerdá, senior vice president of Health Services and chief medical officer at Independence Blue Cross. "One of the things we did when looking at our members' needs was to identify high quality providers, who can get our members quick access to appointments and the services that they need. We have also created mental health value-based programs to recognize our best providers and incentivize continuous improvement in the network."

Enhancing members' access to care

Members have access to a comprehensive and diverse behavioral health network as part of the expanded offerings. It gives members a wider range of services to choose from for a variety of conditions, including:

• General mental and behavioral health.
• Children, adolescent, and young adult services.
• Specific conditions, such as eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance use disorders, and more.

The local options include 6,700 behavioral health practitioners in the Philadelphia five-county region who offer in person and virtual care. That is a 47 percent increase from the number of local providers that were in IBX's network in 2022. More than 500 of the new providers are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The top two languages they speak are Spanish and Russian, the two most common languages requested by IBX members. This shows that IBX is working hard to make sure that people have access to health care from providers who are more likely to understand their culture and speak their language.

IBX is also working to improve health equity in behavioral health by encouraging and compensating for depression screenings by all providers, not just those in the behavioral health field which should improve the observed disparity in behavioral health diagnosis and treatment.

Additionally, IBX offers an expanded set of virtual care options serving both local and out-of-area members, offering convenient access, and innovative care models. Included in these options are "Connect to Care" providers who can help members quickly access appointments with scheduling tools and live intake. These providers have approximately 4,000 appointments available per month and offer appointments in less than seven days. Members can choose from several providers, including but not limited to those focused on:

• General mental health care: Grow Therapy, Thriveworks, Headway
• Children, adolescents and young adults: Little Otter, Joon, Handspring Health, Blackbird Health
• Care for people with substance use disorders: Pelago, Ria Health, Pursue Care, Forge Health, Crossroads, New Life
• Other behavioral health specialty care: Equip Health, NOCD, Quartet Medical Group

Navigating members to the right care when they need it

"Health care is complex and navigating care can be overwhelming. This is especially true for people who are dealing with a mental health or substance use disorder condition," said Diana Lehman, B.S.N., R.N., vice president of Case and Condition Management at Independence Blue Cross. "That's why we have Behavioral Health Case Managers, Behavioral Health Customer Care Advocates, and a Clinical Triage Team available to help support members with all aspects of their care."

IBX Behavioral Health Case Managers are registered nurses, licensed social workers, and professional counselors who proactively identify members who may benefit from behavioral health services. They look at a member's health history and their care patterns to identify risk levels and offer support. This support involves reaching out to members to help them access care, schedule follow-ups, and stay aligned with their care plans. By identifying unmet needs and supporting quicker access to integrated care, IBX is helping to close care gaps and improve total health. Since making Behavioral Health Case Managers available in 2022, IBX has been able to identify four times more members in need of behavioral health services.

Members also have access to care navigation services that are provided by specialized IBX Behavioral Health Customer Care Advocates and Licensed Behavioral Health professionals. The team works together to provide risk screening and guide members to the right care options based on their individual needs. High risk members are escalated to the IBX Clinical Triage Team who can identify priority needs, provide in the moment support, directly connect the member to care (via warm transfer or direct scheduling), and follow up to ensure safety and successful linkage. Care navigation services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide members with rapid connection to the right care. Between April 2023 and June 2024, the team has helped more than 20,000 members connect to care. With the support of seamless connection and direct scheduling, members are receiving appointments within five days. 

Offering members additional support and tools:

IBX members enrolled in fully insured health plans can get additional support from Quartet Health*, a company that matches them to mental health care that fits their needs, preferences, and is covered by their health insurance. In addition to its regular platform, Quartet Health has a Virtual Clinic that it launched in 2022 with IBX. The clinic, which focuses on treating the needs of patients with serious mental illness, has a patient appointment availability guarantee within 48 hours. IBX, as part of its strategic partnership with and investment in Quartet, offers these navigational services free to eligible members.

The company also gives members access to the Shatterproof* Treatment Atlas^® tool. The tool helps people search and compare addiction treatment facilities to find high-quality care for themselves or their loved ones. Members also have coverage for mental health coaching by Teladoc Health*, a digital resource that offers personalized, evidence-based programs and dedicated support for a wide range of topics, including stress, depression, chronic pain, work-life balance, substance use, and anxiety. The Mental Health Coaching is available 24/7 from a computer or the Teladoc mobile app.

Visit www.ibx.com for more information on IBX's expanded offerings for behavioral health and to see how they are helping to give members quicker and expanded access to care, enhancing care coordination, closing care gaps, ensuring appropriate use of services, and supporting innovative products and programs.

*Independent companies

About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. For more than 85 years, we have been enhancing the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve. We deliver innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneer new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and support programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more, visit ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Instagram. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

SOURCE Independence Blue Cross