Brightside Health is proud to announce that it is the first telepsychiatry company to serve 100% of Medicare Part B beneficiaries nationwide, expanding access to life-saving mental health care for all who need it. The news comes less than a year after the company shared its initial expansion to Medicare and Medicaid. With this milestone, Brightside Health now serves 130 million covered lives and is the only company providing comprehensive telemental health services to a broad range of mental health diagnoses – from elevated suicide risk to substance use disorder.
Medicare beneficiaries are facing a mental health crisis, with one in four recipients living with a mental illness and those 65 and older having the highest rate of suicidal ideation. The shortage of providers who serve Medicare exacerbates the issue, with only three providers per 1,000 enrollees, resulting in less than half of patients receiving treatment, and average travel times of nearly an hour to see a behavioral health provider. With nearly 15% of Medicare beneficiaries utilizing emergency departments for mental health care, Brightside Health is tailoring programs to meet these unique population-level needs, closing care gaps, and creating efficiencies for payers, health systems, and hospitals.
“We’re proud to offer Medicare Part B beneficiaries access to Brightside Health’s suite of services and meet the substantial need among seniors for timely, high-quality mental health care across the full spectrum of needs,” said Brad Kittredge, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brightside Health.
In addition to national coverage for Medicare Part B, Brightside Health continues to expand its reach with Medicare Advantage plans and has continued to seek ways to provide comprehensive care to underserved populations, most recently with its expansion into intensive outpatient programs for substance use disorder (SUD). With over 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries struggling with SUD, Brightside Health is working diligently to integrate these services to benefit everyone who needs care.
To inquire about partnership opportunities, please contact partnerships@brightside.com. For more information on Brightside Health, visit www.brightside.com.
About Brightside Health
Brightside Health delivers life-saving mental health care to people with mild to severe clinical depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders, including those with elevated suicide risk, and, with its recent acquisition of Lionrock Recovery, substance use disorder. Powered by proprietary AI, purpose-built technology, and a world-class clinician network, Brightside Health combines precision psychiatry and leading-edge therapeutic techniques to improve patient outcomes across the entire clinical spectrum, affordably and at scale. Brightside Health can be paid for with insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid. Brightside Health is available in all 50 states and D.C. with appointments in 48 hours or less. Learn more at www.brightside.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625486704/en/