Complex behavioral health conditions are the biggest challenge when it comes to access to care, according to Brett Hart, PhD.
Dr. Hart has served as Blue Cross Blue Shield’s president of behavioral health and mental health parity since 2023.
“If we think about things like eating disorder treatment, treating children with urgent needs or treating children with autism — we see exceptionally long wait times to get into that type of tailored treatment for those complex conditions,” Dr. Hart said.
These types of treatments can be cost-prohibitive for families, he said.
“That’s a significant part of our strategy, and where we’re seeing the greatest need for investment and attention, is really finding unique and accessible solutions for these very complex conditions,” he said.
The company has added 2,000 mental health providers to its network in the past year, according to a statement shared with Becker’s. The company has recently partnered with Charlie Health and Little Otter, two virtual mental health providers.
Charlie Health provides care for high-acuity needs for both adolescents and adults, while Little Otter provides mild to high-acuity services for children. Little Otter enables BCBS Minnesota to get children urgent mental healthcare within 48 hours, Dr. Hart said.
“We’ve heard from parents consistently that wait times are too long to get children into care. When a child is in need and they can’t get into that care, oftentimes, they have to go to the emergency room or other settings that could have been avoided had they had earlier access,” he said.
BCBS Minnesota has also leaned on convener organizations to bring more therapists into its network. Between 30% and 50% of psychotherapy providers do not take insurance, according to a 2024 article in Health Affairs.
BCBS Minnesota partnered with Grow Therapy, Rula Health and Headway, management service organizations that support behavioral health providers with administrative tasks. The insurer has added over 700 providers to its network through the support of these MSOs, Dr. Hart said.
“What we find is the reason some of those providers don’t join insurance panels is they may not have the administrative support to do things like claims, filing, credentialing work and so forth. These entities will take that administrative burden off providers and handle that for them.”
The long-term goal for BCBS Minnesota, Dr. Hart said, is to build a system where members can access behavioral healthcare on their own terms.
“One thing we’ve learned is, if you build it, they may not come — unless you build it on terms and in ways that people can buy into,” Dr. Hart said. “Five years down the road, I see a scenario where we’ve created a behavioral healthcare ecosystem for our members that really feels like a natural fit for what they’re seeking. It feels comfortable to pursue and easy to access.”
