Bruce Japsen Jun 6, 2019, 07:31am
Anthem said it will buy Beacon Health
Options, adding a national network of behavioral health services as
the health insurer looks to manage care of the “whole person.”
Anthem didn’t disclose a price it is paying
Bain Capital Private Equity and Diamond Castle Holdings for Beacon Health,
which is privately held. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth
quarter of this year.
Beacon manages mental health, substance
abuse and other behavioral health services to more than 36 million people
across the U.S., “including nearly 3 million individuals under comprehensive
risk-based behavioral programs.” Anthem, which owns Blue Cross and Blue Shield
plans in 14 states, already has more than 40 million members in its health
plans.
The deal is significant because it’s further
acknowledgement by health insurers that managing medical care isn’t enough to
make sure patients are getting the right care, in the right place and at the
right time. Insurers increasingly are working to address social determinants of
their customers outside of traditional medical care and an estimated one in
five American adults suffers from mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental
Health.
“As Anthem works to improve lives, simplify
healthcare and serve as an innovative and valuable partner, we’re focused on
providing solutions that address the needs of the whole person,” Anthem
president and chief executive Gail Boudreaux said.
“With an extensive track record in behavioral
health, Beacon fits well with our strategy to better manage the needs of
populations with chronic and complex conditions, and deliver integrated whole
health solutions,” Boudreaux said. “Together with Beacon, we will enhance our
capabilities to serve state partners, health plans and employer groups as they
seek to address consumer behavioral health needs.”
No comments:
Post a Comment