Mental health ghost networks reach well beyond public insurance programs. Directory errors affected 55.6% of evaluable secret shopper calls to psychiatrists and psychologists listed by the largest commercial carrier in each of five states, according to a study published Oct.…
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A federal judge allowed portions of a putative class action lawsuit against Blue Shield of California and Magellan, the insurer’s contracted mental health services administrator, to move forward over allegations that they published an inaccurate directory of mental health providers,…
Colorado Medicaid officials are working to curb spending on peer and support services after costs reached $293 million last year, The Colorado Sun reported Sept. 28. The services covered 35,000 people per month. Spending on what Medicaid defines as self-help…
The Labor Department is narrowing its enforcement focus on health plans’ compliance with federal mental health parity requirements, prioritizing three areas it considers highest-risk for participants while easing enforcement of newer requirements tied to ongoing litigation. The department’s Employee Benefits…
Minnesota will no longer allow hotel rooms to be used for crisis respite, a Medicaid-funded program that provides care and supervision to people experiencing mental health crises, MPR News reported Sept. 14. The state stopped allowing new hotel placements in…
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Life expectancy among Medicaid beneficiaries with autism spectrum disorder was 13.8 years shorter than among the U.S. general population, according to a study published Sept. 10 in JAMA Network Open. Researchers from New York City-based Columbia University and University of…
Cigna Healthcare will manage a new behavioral health network for eligible current and former National Football League (NFL) players and their eligible dependents beginning Sept. 1. The NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) created the Behavioral Health Network as an…
Tulsa, Okla.-based Grand Mental Health, a certified community behavioral health clinic network, is rebuilding parts of its business model to reduce reliance on Medicaid as the program faces federal work requirements and state-level cost-cutting pressure. About 80% of Grand’s revenue…
UnitedHealthcare expanded its child and family behavioral coaching program, giving approximately 13 million eligible commercial members access to behavioral health support. The 2026 expansion adds access for an additional 5 million members at no added cost for employers with fully…
Five insurance companies now account for about half of the Medicaid managed care market, and adolescents enrolled in their plans often receive behavioral healthcare differently than those in other managed care organizations, according to a study published Aug. 5 in…