New briefing: the company paying for the session increasingly directs it
One extra email this month, because the research warranted it.
We published a briefing on the ownership layer behind therapy reimbursement, with diagrams: https://therapistrates.org/news/clinical-conflict-of-interest/
Three findings from primary documents:
Rula’s own Clinical Care Review policy, filed in a complaint to California’s regulator, describes concurrent utilization review “only in place for clients covered by Kaiser SoCal”: before the 16th visit (typically after session 13), then every 10 visits, drawing on PHQ and GAD scores. The complaint alleges patients are never told.
Headway has insurer equity. HCSC, the Blue Cross plan for five states, led the strategic-investor portion of Headway’s Series C in 2023, and credits the relationship with a 5% reduction in inpatient behavioral admissions in Texas.
The Alma merger moved Cigna’s and Optum’s venture stakes into Spring Health: up to 19% of the combined company goes to Alma’s shareholders, per Oregon Health Authority’s review of the deal.
The company registry also grew to 16: Carelon Behavioral Health, AbleTo, and MDLIVE now have pages, because the same corporate families that pay for therapy own the entities that review and deliver it: https://therapistrates.org/owners/
Every claim is sourced. Allegations are labeled as allegations.
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