UnitedHealth, Blues Spinoff Lucet Proffer Behavioral Health Care Access Solutions

With two recently debuted product offerings, a pair of health care companies aim to solve a problem that has been thrown into sharp relief during the ongoing pandemic: highly variable — and often inadequate — access to behavioral health care services. Industry observers say that both solutions are likely a response to employer clients seeking increased care access points for their covered workers. 

One of the announcements comes from UnitedHealth Group, which in January rolled out a virtual behavioral health coaching program that’s available to UnitedHealthcare commercial plan members with mild depression, stress and anxiety. Through the Optum-administered program, 5 million eligible fully insured plan members can access support “through digital modules and 1:1 video or telephonic conferencing and messaging with trained coaches” at no additional cost. Self-insured employers may also purchase the virtual behavioral health coaching program for their employees, UnitedHealth said.