Premise Health, the leading direct health care provider for employers and unions, is expanding its behavioral health care model by adding psychiatric support to its collaborative care teams, a first of its kind approach within the direct health care industry.
Through this expansion, Premise providers can consult with a psychiatric specialist on patient care, which enhances their ability to diagnose, treat, and manage a wide range of mental health conditions in the primary care setting.
"Mental health is critical to overall health, yet many people struggle to get timely care," said Beth Ratliff, chief operating officer at Premise. "Through a collaborative care team model, Premise empowers providers to confidently practice at the top of their licenses while connecting members to same day or next day mental health care. This approach improves care for patients and reduces specialist and hospital costs for their organizations."
Communities across the country face long appointment wait times for mental health care. It can take two months or more to get in to see a provider, according to the American Psychiatric Association. In response, many employers and unions have prioritized benefits that enhance mental health care access. These benefits often are popular with employees and union members. They also can deliver significant cost savings. In a claims-based study, organizations with integrated onsite primary care and behavioral health services provided by Premise saved approximately $5,800 per member per year.
"When people have access to whole-person care that addresses their needs, they are more satisfied with their care and overall experience," said Jon Leizman, MD, chief medical officer at Premise. "This evolution of our collaborative care model is exciting because it will make it even easier for many of our members to build long-term relationships with a trusted primary care provider."
He added that encouraging long-term primary care relationships is key to improving the health of populations over time.
Premise formalized the onsite behavioral health offering in 2018 as part of its fully integrated advanced primary care model, expanding to offer virtual behavioral health in 2020. Since then, demand for behavioral health services has continued to grow. Premise partnered with 13 large organizations in 2018 to provide behavioral health to their populations; today, it partners with more than 80.
