As You Are Teams Up with Included Health to Increase Access, Expedite Care for Pediatric Patients Suspected to have Autism

As You Are offers virtual autism evaluations for kids nationwide, connecting concerned parents with high-quality care

SAN ANTONIO, May 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As You Are, the nation's leading telehealth provider of pediatric autism evaluations, announces a collaboration with Included Health, a new kind of healthcare company delivering virtual care and navigation for millions of people nationwide.

According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), nearly 1 in 5 (20%) children will experience a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder, prompting the need for a diagnostic evaluation. Ultimately, 1 in 36 kids will be diagnosed with autism. Included Health's employer clients and members will now benefit from faster access to a pediatric autism diagnostic evaluation, streamlining the journey for parents through a virtual setting. Beyond diagnosis, As You Are's high-quality, specially trained pediatricians provide treatment recommendations to address the medical and mental health for the entire family, offering connections to support groups and much more.

"Collaborating with Included Health aligns with our mission to improve access to timely evaluations, ensuring pediatric patients receive a diagnosis and their families receive answers they rightfully deserve," said Kayla Wagner, CEO of As You Are. "We are thrilled to be working with innovators in integrated virtual care and navigation to create a streamlined approach and help families create a brighter future for their kids."

The scarcity of healthcare providers and services has created a national crisis for all pediatric patients in need of an autism evaluation. Families across the nation are forced to wait, on average, 27 months to get an autism diagnosis, delaying critical interventions. By offering virtual appointments in all 50 states, Included Health members will gain access to As You Are's diagnostic evaluations in weeks. As You Are physicians can evaluate children suspected to have autism, increasing access and creating a powerful solution for self-insured employers who are responsible for the health care costs of employees and their dependents. Nearly 160 million Americans rely on their employer-sponsored plans for health coverage.

"Delays in diagnosis and treatment can not only lead to adverse outcomes for children with autism, but it also places an immense stress on parents, leading to time away from work, family and friends," said Ami Parekh, M.D., J.D., chief health officer for Included Health. "We are excited to collaborate with a like-minded innovator that is leveraging a virtual-first model to increase access to high-quality autism diagnostic services at a critical point in a child's life."

Included Health's clients and members will have access to a referral for all services available by As You Are. Through the collaboration, Included Health and As You Are can help connect more families and their children across the nation with timely pediatric autism evaluations, reducing the stressors and delays that can impact outcomes.

About As You Are

As You Are has completely disrupted the pediatric mental healthcare space using an innovative approach to autism diagnostics. As the nation's largest virtual clinic for autism evaluations for kids ages 16 months to 10 years old, As You Are has proudly served more than 15,000 families, diminishing wait times by hundreds of days nationwide. As You Are has been recognized nationally on the TODAY Show, Becker's Hospital review, and dozens of media outlets. The organization's vision is to create a world where every family has the support they need to help their children flourish. Learn more at AsYouAre.com.

About Included Health

Included Health is a new kind of healthcare company. We combine people and technology to guide and deliver care differently. Working with employers and health plans nationwide, we provide millions of people with a healthcare experience that is more personalized, accessible, equitable, affordable, and cohesive. With us, it's all included; care and support online, around the corner, and in the home for everyday and urgent needs including primary, specialty, and behavioral healthcare. Our model is designed to treat people better. Learn more at includedhealth.com.

SOURCE As You Are