The quest for value-based care in behavioral health is driving far-reaching changes that could upend industry practices for payers and providers, Behavioral Health Business reports.
Notably, this could result in the extinction of behavioral health carve-outs. Top executives told attendees of VALUE, a Behavioral Health Business event, that carving out behavioral benefits acts as an impediment to addressing the total cost of care of enrollees.
“We can eliminate the carve-outs,” Dr. Katherine Knutson, senior vice president at UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) and CEO of Optum Behavioral Care, said at the BHB’s event VALUE. “That is the work that we’re doing. We’re pushing very hard at [UnitedHealth] with a lot of promising models to really move forward with a total cost of care approach.” Read more.
