As HHS hosts payers and medical associations in Washington, D.C., it will introduce a pledge July 29 to advance mental health and addiction care nationwide.
Optum CEO Patrick Conway, MD, told Becker’s on July 27 that his company will be the first in the private sector to sign on. Optum is also rolling out products related to these commitments Aug. 1.
According to a copy of the pledge shared with Becker’s, it addresses timely access to treatment, evidence-based practice, measures, individualized treatment and whole-person care. The pledge is voluntary, and its enforceability, definition of timeliness or specific measures have not been outlined.
The event includes HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, payers, provider groups and other associations, according to an agenda shared with Becker’s. Leaders from UnitedHealth Group’s Optum, CVS Health, Magellan Health, Elevance Health and Humana also will be present, as will current and former leaders from the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Psychological Association.
A July 28 HHS news release said “dozens” of healthcare leaders, providers, medical societies and behavioral health professionals will sign the pledge.
“This voluntary pledge is not a minimum standard of care, federal mandate or replacement for clinical judgment. It is a shared and enduring commitment to advancing behavioral healthcare through evidence, innovation, professional standards and continuous improvement,” the pledge said. “Together, we pledge to advance evidence-based clinical pathways that build a behavioral health system rooted in quality, accountability, compassion and recovery.”
Mental health parity requires health plans to cover behavioral and physical health under comparable terms. Recently, states have become increasingly responsible for enforcing this parity, and the federal government plans to issue refreshed rules in the months to come. However, Dr. Conway said the pledge could preempt parity policies.
“At Optum, this gets us ahead of the parity laws, if you will,” he said. “What I mean by that is we agree that you want the same level of access, quality and outcomes in mental health as you would in physical health, so this aligns with mental health parity at the top level.”
Optum is also committing to clinical pathways related to the pledge’s efforts, Dr. Conway said.
He added that Optum serves “millions” across its behavioral benefits platform, working with payers and employers on behalf of their members. The company is rolling out programs targeting substance use disorder, serious mental illness — including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder — and autism. The offerings focus on early detection and whole-person care, and the autism offering also will work to combat fraud within applied behavior analysis.
“In our network, we’re using data analytics, AI, to make sure we understand usage patterns,” Dr. Conway said. Optum aims to flag providers committing fraud earlier, including through site visits, if necessary.
The pledge comes shortly after HHS committed more than $700 million in June to address mental health, addiction and homelessness.
“For this system to get better, you need all of us,” Dr. Conway said. “You need payers, you need providers … you need employers and you need the federal government.”
Becker’s contacted HHS and will update this story if more information becomes available. Becker’s also requested a confirmed list of planned signatories but did not hear back at the time of publication.
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