Tag: Payers

Health Net, Carenodes, and Insight Choices Expand Access to Telehealthcare

Health Net’s telehealth grant gives members an alternative and convenient means to address their mental healthcare concerns

Health Net has grant funded a proposal by Insight Choices, in partnership with Carenodes, to expand virtual healthcare delivery capacity and accessibility. In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Insight Choices, a coalition of psychiatric providers across California were awarded a $125,000 telehealth infrastructure expansion grant by Health Net.

The grant will help Insight Choices launch new telehealth technologies to increase its prevention and intervention efforts for patients with mental health conditions. Furthermore, availability of funding will enable the provision of crisis intervention services, mental and substance use disorder treatment, crisis counseling, and other related supports for communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, Health Net announced it would award $13.4 million in immediate assistance for Medi-Cal providers to expand telehealth capacity and capabilities at California safety net clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), and independent provider practices.

“Providing increased access to care during this unprecedented time is critical to ensuring our most vulnerable populations stay healthy and safe. The amount of difficult news, confusion and tragedy surrounding all of us in a short period of time can feel insurmountable. Reaching out for help is incredibly important and telehealth is key to ensuring access to care is not interrupted.”

Brian Ternan, President and CEO, Health Net of California and California Health & Wellness.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Insight Choices saw the need to increase its telehealth offering to benefit its patients who are coping with increased anxiety, deep depression and unfortunately, suicidal ideation. The organization is also seeing an increased need to provide mental health services for health care workers on the frontline of the pandemic.

“Health care providers throughout California are under incredible, and still increasing, strain as they work diligently to fight this pandemic, and for our patients, the strain they feel is just as, if not more difficult to handle,” said Robert Chang, DO, Medical Director & President at Insight Choices. “As we focus on mental health care and the emotional wellbeing of the Californians we serve, these funds will provide Insight Choices the support needed to deliver a robust response to the mental health needs exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Our nation’s health care providers are under incredible, and still increasing, strain as they fight the pandemic. Insight Choices plan for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program is a critical tool to address this national emergency—starting in California and the counties we serve with a focus on mental health care and emotional wellbeing. This grant will provide Insight Choices, and the communities it serves, vital funding to assist in a more robust response to the mental health crisis exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic,”

Alex Yarijanian CEO of Carenodes and Interim COO of Insight Choices

Social distancing has led many across the nation to seek out health providers that offer telehealth to ease the anxiety of walking into a clinic, and this is no different for mental health clinics. Telehealth can also bring costs down for some patients and is a benefit to those without a mode of transportation. However, many providers and organizations that serve Medi-Cal patients face financial barriers to expand the implementation, and this is where organizations like Health Net come in.

Insight Choices and Carenodes, will support infrastructure modernization efforts to include telecommunications services, information services and devices necessary to enable the provision of telehealth services during this emergency period. In addition, such capacity building funds have the potential to substantially stimulate the deployment of innovative access to care models.

About Insight Choices
Insight Choices Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services offer a full range of assessment and treatment options to address the mental, emotional and behavioral problems that occur throughout life. The group’s programs encompass a comprehensive view of mental health integrating the biological, psychological and social dimensions of care. Serving populations across California with expanded hours (nights and weekends), telehealth availability, evidence-based treatment modalities, and engagement via technology and virtual means, Insight Choices leads access to care.

About Carenodes
Carenodes leads healthcare infrastructure development efforts around integrating nonmedical services within mainstream healthcare (primary care, behavioral, substance abuse, payers). It focuses on developing provider networks with the capacity to deliver on the promise of a ‘biopsychosocial model of wellbeing’ and equity in access to healthcare.

About Health Net:
At Health Net, we believe every person deserves a safety net for their health, regardless of age, income, employment status or current state of health. Founded 40 years ago, we remain dedicated to transforming the health of our community, one person at a time. Today, Health Net’s 3,000 employees and 85,000 network providers serve more than 3 million members. That’s nearly 1 in 12 Californians. Health Net of California, Inc., Health Net Life Insurance Company and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. These entities are wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), a Fortune 100 company providing health coverage to more than 20 million Americans.

Strong Networks Begin with Strong Healthcare Provider Relationships

As Medicare Advantage plans already know, many factors go into building a robust CMS-compliant network. One focal point should be strong provider relationships. Carenodes is committed to cultivating long-lasting relationships with healthcare professionals, offices, facilities and systems.

Here’s why these partnerships matter:

  • Strong relationships don’t happen overnight. We’ve been committed to building provider relationships for 40 years. Our experience, combined with the ability to evolve in a fluctuating healthcare landscape, helps ensure we’re always bringing value to our provider relationships. Then providers bring value to the network.
  • A plan is never starting from scratch. We have contracts with more than one million providers. We begin with these practitioners when helping to build, supplement or expand a network.
  • Contracted providers can help a network go to market faster: By leveraging contracted providers, we can secure contracts quickly, efficiently and cost effectively, so your plan can get to market faster.
  • Providers know Carenodes. Because so many providers already work with us, they know how we work. They also know they have broader access to health care programs, giving them the incentive to participate in a network.
  • Carenodes knows providers. Just like providers know us, we know our participating practitioners. Our 130 network development professionals understand what providers want. They’re able to convey the benefits of participating in a network.
  • Contracted providers are in a better position to meet network requirements. Our contracted providers have credentials using guidelines that are prepared in consideration of the NCQA CR Standards and guidelines. They may already be compliant with Medicare Advantage requirements or may only need to amend their contracts.

A commitment to strong provider relationships is just one aspect of Carenodes’ Network-Based Services for Medicare Advantage Plans.