Anthem Blue Cross is making significant strides in expanding its California behavioral health network, adding more than 10,000 providers over the past two years.
The health insurer, a subsidiary of Elevance Health, said in an announcement on Tuesday that there is "unprecedented" demand for mental and behavioral health services, making network expansions critical. One in seven adults in the Golden State reports a mental illness, with one in 26 reporting one that disrupts their ability to carry out daily activities.
In response to this, the payer has grown its behavioral health offerings by 90% since 2020. All told, its network boasts more than 34,000 different behavioral health practitioners.
“At Anthem Blue Cross, we are responding to the growing need for mental health services and work tirelessly to improve the whole health of all Californians,” said Beth Andersen, president of Anthem Blue Cross commercial health plans, in the press release. “Our expansions are focused on addressing the physical and behavioral health needs of our members by offering a wide range of targeted interventions, education, and enhanced access to care to ensure better outcomes and quality of life for members.”
The insurer's network is built on partnerships with multiple organizations, with recent additions including Headway, Rula and Octave. Through its relationship with these firms, the insurer is seeking to make it simpler for members to find providers that meet their unique needs.
Through Headway, the insurer connects employers and plan members with personalized services. Rula, meanwhile, makes it easier for members to schedule an appointment with one of the more than 10,000 providers in its network.
Octave, similarly, is built to make it simple for members to find a provider across multiple specialties, backgrounds and evidence-based approaches, according to the announcement.
In addition to these partnerships, Anthem Blue Cross has invested in community initiatives that target mental health needs and substance use disorder. Its foundation has contributed more than $3.7 million toward programs for mental health.
The insurer also recently awarded $1.6 million in grants to seven nonprofits in the state with the goal of addressing disparities in behavioral health.
“Together with our local partners we continue to take a whole-person approach and invest in the mental health and well-being in our communities, particularly with a focus on helping those in underserved communities who have a substance use disorder,” said Andersen.