Vitalic Launches Geriatric Behavioral Health Platform to Support Underserved Population, Lower Costs

• Mental health is often overlooked as a contributing factor to geriatric health decline despite its strong connection to overall well-being.
  
• Vitalic's specialized practice platform and novel engagement model better treat geriatric patients while reducing total cost of care.

BOSTON, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vitalic today announced the launch of its signature geriatric behavioral health care platform. This specialized practice tool focuses on treating a vulnerable and often overlooked older population who needs mental health care that proactively reinforces physical health and overall wellbeing. Vitalic's model is led by geriatric psychiatry and also includes therapy, coaching, and medication management. Entering the market with one of the nation's largest home- and community-based health care nonprofits, payor/provider VNS Health, Vitalic improves member outcomes and reduces total cost of care for Medicare Advantage Plans and risk-based providers.

The senior population faces unique behavioral health treatment challenges. While 25% of adults age 65+ suffer from mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, 63% of that group does not receive sufficient treatment. Ageism and mental health stigma compound the issue, negatively impacting well-being while making seniors reluctant to seek care, leading to $63B in additional healthcare costs.

To improve geriatric health outcomes and reduce total cost of care, Medicare Advantage payors must find a way to provide greater engagement and access to specialized behavioral health for these members. Older adults with untreated mental health conditions cost payors more than three times as much compared to those without behavioral health issues. Unfortunately, more than 95% of this spend goes toward treating chronic medical conditions that do not address the underlying behavioral health issues that affect patient health status and behaviors. Misdiagnosis, drug interactions, and bias lead to medication and care plan adherence issues, resulting in poor health and increased costs. Co-occurring behavioral health issues must be addressed or these issues will continue to worsen. 

Using a proprietary engagement model, Vitalic works with payors to identify high-cost, polychronic members with untreated behavioral health challenges, and then reaches out directly to enroll them in a proven care model that fits their individual needs. With VNS Health, Vitalic aims to boost patient satisfaction, close critical care gaps, decrease unnecessary utilization, and reduce total cost of care.

Vitalic's team-based clinical model deploys geriatric-trained behavioral health specialists, including Geriatric Boarded Psychiatrists, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Licensed Therapists, and Mental Health Support Coaches. This effective approach coordinates with a patient's medical healthcare providers to enhance self-care, emotional well-being, and medication adherence.

"Despite the fact that this population continues to grow, targeted efforts to address seniors' specific needs and impact on the healthcare industry have been too small and fallen far short," said Ben Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Vitalic. "Our team-based approach supports patients through challenges including medication management, behavioral issues, and psychosocial struggles. Through our work with VNS Health, we're changing the dynamic of geriatric behavioral health care for patients and payors using a proven model that addresses the pressing needs of both stakeholders."

Vitalic's services address the full spectrum of behavioral health needs, including:

• Specialized Geriatric Treatment: Providers are trained in older adult issues and senior-specialized interventions and care, rapidly improving outcomes while avoiding care mismanagement due to bias, misdiagnosis, or complexity.
• Team-Based Care: A curated collaboration between behavioral health professionals trained to work with older adults means Vitalic delivers evidence-based interventions that address the unique needs of seniors with polychronic conditions.
• Proactive Patient Engagement: A proprietary platform combines risk stratification and AI/ML-based analytics to identify high-risk members. Vitalic then applies predictive modeling to engage patients in the program, while intuitive telehealth, secure chat, and personalized content increases participation at scale.

"Every day, our skilled clinical teams overcome enormous challenges in delivering high-quality patient and member care to older adults with complex, complicated care needs. Vitalic empowers them with senior-focused expertise to directly transform key barriers standing between these members and their best possible health," said Dan Savitt, President and CEO of VNS Health. "Vitalic's innovation and expertise in behavioral health, the most overlooked element of whole-person care, allow us to provide specialized mental health care not previously accessible to our members, while reducing total cost of care."

For more information about Vitalic's behavioral health solutions for seniors, visit www.vitalichealth.co.

About Vitalic
Vitalic is a senior-focused behavioral health platform designed to transform mental health care for Medicare Advantage members with polychronic conditions. Through its hybrid care model, Vitalic gives MA plans and risk-bearing entities proactive, geriatric-specialized behavioral health care with integrated team-based support for their high-risk, high-cost members. By combining telehealth and personalized outreach, Vitalic helps reduce emergency visits and hospitalizations, improve behavioral health outcomes, and support seniors in leading healthier, more fulfilled lives. For more information, visit www.vitalichealth.co.

About VNS Health
VNS Health is one of the nation's largest nonprofit home and community-based health care organizations. Innovating in health care for more than 130 years, our commitment to health and well-being is what drives us — we help people live, age, and heal where they feel most comfortable, in their own homes, connected to their family and community. On any given day, more than 10,000 VNS Health team members deliver compassionate care, unparalleled expertise and 24/7 solutions and resources to the more than 51,000 "neighbors" who look to us for care. Powered and informed by data analytics that are unmatched in the home and community-health industry, VNS Health offers a full range of health care services, solutions and health plans designed to simplify the health care experience and meet the diverse and complex needs of those we serve in New York and beyond. To learn more, please visit vnshealth.org.

Media Contacts
Mark Karges, HermesPR on behalf of Vitalic
[email protected]

Caren Browning, VNS Health Media Relations
[email protected]

SOURCE Vitalic