Headway expands to all 50 states and DC, making it easier than ever for millions of people to see a therapist or psychiatrist who accepts their insurance

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Dec 14, 2023, 08:30 ET

New technology investments will enable mental health providers to be licensed to serve across multiple state lines

NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Headway, a tech-enabled network of mental health providers who actively accept insurance, is now serving people in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC). More than 27,000 mental health clinicians partner with Headway to easily run a private practice and accept insurance. Individuals seeking care can search on headway.co to find a provider who meets their needs, accepts their insurance, and has availability in the next two weeks. Currently, more than 25 health insurance plans are covered through Headway. Among the companies with plans to go live with Headway in all 50 states and DC are Evernorth Health Services, Cigna Healthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

"Many believe that people don't get the mental health care that they need because of a shortage of mental health clinicians," said Olivia Davis, Chief Commercial Officer, Headway. "While a lack of clinicians is certainly an issue, at Headway we believe the central problem is that most providers don't actively accept insurance. With Headway's national expansion, we are delighted to increase access to in-person and virtual care for people across the country, supporting providers to practice across state-lines and continue to be the heroes of this mental health crisis."

Supporting patient and provider choice locally and nationally

Headway supports both in-person and virtual mental health care appointments. In scaling nationally, Headway has built dense, local networks of providers in markets across the country, and plans to continue to expand its footprint by bringing on more providers in the coming months. The company believes that healthcare is local and has providers in all 50 states and DC.

Headway recognizes that in a post-pandemic world, it's more important than ever to support people in getting care in a way that's best for them. For patients, this may include virtual care. For providers, this may include practicing in multiple states where they are licensed to serve a more diverse patient population or ensure continuity of care for patients who relocate.

To support flexibility for providers, as well as patients' access to the right care, in the first half of 2024 Headway will launch technology that allows providers who hold multiple licenses to seamlessly deliver care across state lines through the Headway platform.

"Evernorth aims to personalize behavioral healthcare for all customers, delivering the right care in the right setting at the right time," said Melissa Reilly, Chief Strategy Officer, Evernorth Behavioral Health. "By allowing providers to focus on delivering quality care, rather than administrative work, our collaboration with Headway is one way we can grow our network of mental health clinicians. This directly empowers our customers to find a provider – in-person or virtual – who meets their needs and preferences. We look forward to expanding our impact together across the nation so that more people can get the personalized behavioral health care they need."

Working with regional Blues plans to improve access for out-of-state members

Headway continues to work closely with health plan partners to build a seamless experience for people seeking mental health care through their insurance. In 2023, Headway worked with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to help all of their members, including those who live outside the state of Massachusetts, get in-network mental health care through Headway.

"We are proud that Headway is now available as a provider for virtual services to our members living outside of Massachusetts," said Dr. Gregory Harris, Senior Medical Director, Behavioral Health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

A focus on getting patients healthy

As Headway expands access to care, the company is focused on getting patients well. This year the company received a meaningful vote of confidence from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS TX), which saw a 5% reduction in inpatient acute behavioral health admissions since 2021, which it correlates with Headway's ability to connect outpatient members to behavioral health care within 48 hours. In just two years, more than 50,000 BCBS TX members received mental health care from a provider on Headway; 30,000 members - or 60% - saw a provider who two years ago didn't accept insurance but today do because of the Headway and BCBS TX partnership.

About Headway

Headway is building a new mental health care system that everyone can access by making it easy for therapists to take insurance and scale their practice. Today, we're the largest mental health provider network in the country, with 27,000 in-network providers across race, gender, ethnicity and specialty working with Headway to run their private practice. Patients can schedule care within 48 hours via one-click booking at headway.co, or can get care through a referral. The company operates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and has funding from a16z (Andreessen Horowitz), Accel, GV (formerly Google Ventures), Spark Capital, Thrive Capital, and Health Care Service Corporation.

SOURCE Headway