MOUNT LAUREL, N.J.— Array Behavioral Care, the nation’s leading virtual psychiatry and therapy practice, responded to President Joe Biden’s vision for a national mental health strategy to strengthen system capacity, connect more Americans to care, and create a continuum of support. During his first State of the Union Address, President Biden called for getting, “…all Americans the mental health services they need. More people they can turn to for help, and full parity between physical and mental health care.”

“President Biden’s recent declaration was proof that our nation’s mental health crisis is a priority, at the highest level of government,” said CEO Geoffrey Boyce. “We urge all behavioral health clinicians and organizations everywhere to answer the call to take on mental health in any way possible—and as the President stated, ‘especially for our children, whose lives have been turned upside down.’ On behalf of the thousands of clinicians and staff nationwide, Array is energized by the Biden Administration’s commitment to transform how mental health services are accessed in America and will continue to play an integral role in creating a healthcare system that is equitable and accessible to patients across the continuum of care.”

As one of the earliest advocates of telepsychiatry more than 20 years ago, Array has worked to improve regulations that increase the ease-of-use of telepsychiatry in homes, hospitals, and primary care offices for patients and clinicians. Telebehavioral care services for adults and children are actively delivered by Array in all of these care settings, including hospitals in rural communities like Sidney Health Center in Montana and VCU Tappahannock in Virginia, an adult and one-of-a-kind pediatric Collaborative Care treatment program with United Physicians, an independent physician organization of 2,000 providers in Michigan, and in patients’ homes nationwide via Array AtHome.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically exacerbated a long-standing challenge of capacity: traditional models of direct care inefficiently use our behavioral care workforce and limits the number of patients who can be treated,” added Dr. Jim Varrell, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Array Behavioral Care. “The data continues to show that behavioral healthcare delivered through technology can reduce barriers to care and increase access to a broad range of treatment options and be effectively delivered to families in every clinical setting, regardless of where someone lives.”

About Array

Array Behavioral Care is the nation’s leading clinician-centric virtual psychiatry and therapy practice with a mission to transform access to quality, timely behavioral health care. Array offers telepsychiatry solutions and services across the continuum of care, from hospital to home, through its OnDemand, Scheduled and AtHome divisions. For more than 20 years, Array has partnered with hundreds of hospitals and health systems, community health care organizations and payers of all sizes to expand access to care and improve outcomes for underserved individuals, facilities and communities. As an industry pioneer and established thought leader, Array has helped shape the field, define the standard of care and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations. To learn more, visit www.arraybc.com.

In January 2022, The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced in a proposed rule that it was soliciting feedback from the health care industry to better understand potential hurdles facing Medicare Advantage plans when trying to add behavioral health providers to their networks. Array CEO Geoffrey Boyce explains why a shortage of behavioral health professionals is only part of the problem and discusses the more complex factors in play. Read in Behavioral Health Business.

Why is behavioral health well suited to telehealth? And what are some of the biggest differences between an in-person and telebehavioral session? Array CEO Geoffrey Boyce explains to the American Journal of Managed Care how telehealth allows clinicians and patients to connect with one another in ways they wouldn’t in an in-office setting. Watch on AJMC.com.

When the nearest psychiatrist's office is dozens or even hundreds of miles away, a virtual connection may be enough to help people living with serious mental health conditions get effective care through their local primary care clinic, a new Journal of General Internal Medicine study shows. Array’s partnership to provide telebehavioral health services to Humana Medicare Advantage individual and group members nationwide in 2022 is part of a larger trend of using telehealth for behavioral care. Read the story in Healthcare Finance News.

Amid skyrocketing depression rates, Humana has expanded its behavioral health strategy to bring Array AtHome direct-to-patient behavioral telehealth to nearly five million Medicare Advantage members. Read more about how the partnership is making it easier for more Americans to get the behavioral healthcare they need faster. Read in Healthcare Finance News.

Array and Humana’s partnership, announced in January 2022, means Array’s clinicians will provide live psychiatry and therapy sessions via video to all of Humana's approximately 5 million Medicare Advantage members across the country. Array CEO Geoffrey Boyce joins the American Journal of Managed Care to explain how Array AtHome is building on clinical mental health care, not replacing it. Watch the video on AJMC.com.

As the country struggles with a shortage of inpatient behavioral health beds and mental healthcare providers, health systems are increasingly turning to telepsychiatry to meet the need. Joining Gist Healthcare, Geoffrey Boyce, CEO of Array Behavioral Care, says that health systems are seeking more comprehensive behavioral health solutions across inpatient, virtual and home-based settings, but regulatory barriers are standing in the way of more widespread adoption.

Listen to the podcast here.

On Jan. 1, 2022, Array AtHome joined Humana’s virtual care network and expanded members’ access to live video psychiatry and therapy services in their homes 

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. – Jan. 5, 2022 — Array Behavioral Care, a leading nationwide telebehavioral practice, announced today that Array is providing telebehavioral health services to Humana Medicare Advantage individual and group members nationwide in 2022. 

As of Jan. 1, 2022, Array AtHome’s virtual psychiatry and counseling services are now available to approximately 5 million Medicare Advantage members. 

“We’re committed to changing health behaviors to improve lives. Array AtHome’s telebehavioral health services will provide improved access to behavioral health specialists and help meet the behavioral health needs of our Medicare Advantage members,” said Taft Parsons III, MD, Enterprise Medical Director, Behavioral Health, for Humana. 

Array & Humana Partnership

Since 2016, Array has served Humana members as a covered benefit through partnerships with primary care providers, integrating behavioral care into their clinics and practices. Recognizing a growing need for behavioral health care, Humana has expanded its behavioral health strategy and selected Array AtHome to be one of Humana’s direct-to-patient telebehavioral care providers to improve the lives of Medicare beneficiaries, 25% of whom live with mental illness. 

Array AtHome makes it easier for patients to get the help they need, when and where it works for them, through a large network of qualified clinicians and high appointment availability. Individuals seeking care are connected to ongoing services from the right licensed professional counselor, therapist or psychiatrist within days. 

Array’s services are available to more than 91 million people through Humana and other payers.  

“People everywhere, especially seniors with comorbid physical and behavioral conditions, need timely access to quality behavioral care. We commend Humana for prioritizing this need and feel honored that they’ve chosen us to meet it,” said James R. Varrell, MD, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Array Behavioral Care. “Humana members nationwide can now receive the right help, in the right setting, whether it be at their home or other care facilities.”  

About Array Behavioral Care

Array Behavioral Care (formerly InSight + Regroup) is the leading and largest telepsychiatry service provider in the country with a mission to transform access to quality, timely behavioral health care. Array offers telepsychiatry solutions and services across the continuum of care, from hospital to home, through its OnDemand, Scheduled and AtHome divisions. For more than 20 years, Array has partnered with hundreds of hospitals and health systems, community health care organizations and payers of all sizes to expand access to care and improve outcomes for underserved individuals, facilities and communities. As an industry pioneer and established thought leader, Array has helped shape the field, define the standard of care and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations. To learn more, visit www.arraybc.com. 

Additional Information: 

Some Humana Medicare Advantage plans in Nevada and Ohio may not offer telebehavioral health services through Array AtHome in 2022. To find out if Array is available, Humana members in those states should call the toll-free customer service number on the back of their Humana member ID card. 

Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO, HMO SNP, PPO, PPO SNP and PFFS organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any Humana plan depends on contract renewal. Other providers may be available in the Humana network. Providers may also contract with other plan sponsors.

Respective Bills Enhance States’ Telehealth Framework for Patients and Clinicians While Ensuring Fair Reimbursement of Services 

Mount Laurel, NJ – January 3, 2022– Array Behavioral Care, the nation’s largest virtual psychiatry practice and a thought leader in modern behavioral care, commends New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and state representatives for passing two bills in December that extend telehealth coverage in their states. The bills expand access to telehealth for both patients and providers through payment parity provisions, modality expansions, and inclusion of a wider variety of clinicians who can bill payers for telehealth services.   

“We commend Governor Murphy and Governor DeWine for leading the charge in extending telehealth laws beyond the temporary federal policies, validating telehealth as a permanent fixture in healthcare,” said Array Behavioral Care CEO Geoffrey Boyce. “With both of these bills in place, patients and clinicians can continue to leverage telehealth even after the temporary public health emergency allowances disappear.” 

Telehealth in New Jersey

The passage of New Jersey S-2559 extends payment parity for telehealth services through December 31, 2023, requiring healthcare payers to reimburse providers for telehealth services at the same rates as in-person services. The bill also includes a contingency that rigorous studies be conducted throughout the two-year expansion to inform a longer-term approach to reimbursement of telehealth. The signed legislation comes after months of continued advocacy and dialogue, including a letter to the governor co-authored by Geoffrey Boyce and Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).  

Ohio House Bill 122, known as the Telemedicine Expansion Act, benefits patients by barring healthcare payers from denying coverage of telehealth services or charging higher out-of-pocket costs for online services. Most notably, the Ohio bill also expands access for clinicians by including more categories of clinicians and provider sites in coverage, such as pharmacists, school psychologists, outpatient hospitals, and ambulatory clinics.        

“The top motivation cited in these bills and statements from officials is telehealth has provided a greater ease of access to care, especially in underserved communities,” added Boyce. “That’s what telehealth does — allow more people to get the care they need, no matter where they are. Elected officials in New Jersey and Ohio have assured their constituents that the telehealth services which have been a lifeline for so many during the COVID-19 pandemic will remain in place for years to come.”  

Both the New Jersey and Ohio bills expand modalities of care that can be reimbursed. The New Jersey bill specifies that audio-only behavioral health care be reimbursed at the same rate as in-person appointments. Additionally, the Ohio Telemedicine Expansion Act establishes that asynchronous care, such as text or chat, must be covered by insurance. Numerous psychology studies demonstrate the effectiveness of telebehavioral care, including data showing that audio-only care reduces depression symptoms.  

Boyce about Telebehavioral care

“Faced with no other choice for medical care amid lockdowns and the ongoing pandemic, patients and clinicians have turned to telehealth to stay in contact and found that it works,” said Boyce. “In many specialties, the data show that the quality of care is maintained via telehealth with added benefits of lower overall costs and greater convenience than in-person care. Since telehealth can maintain quality, or even increase it, while reducing spend and improving the care experience, it must be permanently accessible through insurance coverage, just like any other appointment.”  

Boyce, an advocate for telemedicine access, education and reform, recently spoke on Capitol Hill to advocate for the TREATS Act, Senate Bill 340, in light of the state of emergency in children’s mental health declared by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association. He serves on the advisory board for the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center (MATRC), is a recipient of the American Telemedicine Association’s Industry Leader Award, was appointed to New Jersey Telehealth Review Commission, and participates in several ATA Special Interest Groups and Workgroups. 

About Array Behavioral Care

Array Behavioral Care is the leading and largest virtual psychiatry practice in the country with a mission to transform access to quality, timely behavioral healthcare. Array is also the exclusive national telebehavioral partner to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Behavioral Health. Array offers telepsychiatry solutions and services across the continuum of care, from hospital to home, through its OnDemand, Scheduled, and AtHome divisions. For more than 20 years, Array has partnered with hundreds of hospitals and health systems, community healthcare organizations, and payers of all sizes to expand access to care and improve outcomes for underserved individuals, facilities, and communities. As an industry pioneer and established thought leader, Array has helped shape the field, define the standard of care, and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations. To learn more, visit www.arraybc.com 

Geoffrey Boyce Will Join Mental Health Advocates to Champion Prescribing of Controlled Substances via Telehealth Post Public Health Emergency

Mount Laurel, NJ – December 1, 2021Array Behavioral Care, the nation’s largest telepsychiatry service and a thought leader in modern behavioral care, today announced that Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Boyce will be on Capitol Hill this week to advocate for Senate Bill 340, the TREATS Act, and the expansion of telemedicine to address the limited number of child psychiatrists with the increasing number of children in need. Boyce is a recognized leader and advocate on mental health issues of critical importance including how care is accessed, measured, designed, and delivered.

Boyce’s appearance on Capitol Hill and subsequent participation in an upcoming mental health conference are organized through the Center for Telehealth & e-Health Law (CTeL). On Thursday, December 2, Boyce will participate in a CTeL Digital Health Summit panel, “Mental Health Advocates Discuss Prescribing of Controlled Substances Post PHE.” In addition, he will attend and speak within CTeL virtual events in December to continue education and dialogue with Congress and regulators about telebehavioral health’s efficacy for psychiatry and substance use disorder treatment.

Array CEO in Capitol Hill

“Our country is facing a mental health pandemic that has impacted all populations, but perhaps most acutely our youth, and we applaud the TREATS Act and other measures designed to improve access and address this growing challenge,” said Boyce. “The TREATS Act has the power to do more for mental health and substance use than any other piece of legislation than we have seen in the past decade. The proposed bill is extremely timely and a significant step forward for telebehavioral health, which has proven to be a lifeline for so many patients too often left behind by our current healthcare system.”

The TREATS Act, introduced in February 2021, proposes to permit the prescribing of certain controlled substances via telemedicine for mental health services. As proposed, the TREATS Act would enhance critical telepsychiatry solutions, like Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and adult psychiatry and their use of schedule III and IV prescriptions, which have been unnecessarily restrained since 2008. As one of the earliest adopters of telepsychiatry more than 20 years ago, Array is a proponent of the TREATS Act and legislation that expands access to telepsychiatry in homes, hospitals, and primary care offices for patients and clinicians. Telebehavioral care—when direct clinician-to-patient care is delivered online—increases patient access and clinical support for healthcare professionals through technology.

Array CEO advocating for Pediatric Health & Treats Act

In addition, the TREATS Act (with minor revisions) has the power to address the growing pediatric mental health crisis and the extreme shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association declared a national state of emergency in children’s mental health. With schools and after-school activities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, pediatric experts point to an alarming rise in the past year in emergency department visits for mental health crises, self-injury, and suicide attempts among children ages 5 to 17.

Despite the heightened need for mental health care, the number of psychiatrists and therapists to care for the mental health needs of children has not kept pace. Research shows there is on average only 9.75 child psychiatrists per 100,000 children under age 19; and, 70% of U.S. counties have no child psychiatrists. The AACAP estimates more than four times as many psychiatrists are needed to keep up with mental health needs among children, and yet, clinicians’ use of telemedicine for children is restricted because of the Ryan Haight Act, which prohibits the prescribing of first-line agents like stimulants to children via video without a prior in-person visit.

Boyce is a dedicated leader in telemedicine advocacy, education, and reform initiatives. He serves as a national voice promoting telemedicine and telepsychiatry and regularly interacts with state and local healthcare regulators and administrators. He is a recipient of the American Telemedicine Association’s Industry Leader Award, an active participant in several ATA Special Interest Groups and Workgroups and serves on the advisory board for the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center (MATRC) and the New Jersey Telehealth Review Commission. Boyce has worked tirelessly to advocate for laws at the state and federal level that create wider access to healthcare for anyone, anywhere, and ensure clinicians are fairly compensated for administering care online.

About Array

Array Behavioral Care is the leading and largest telepsychiatry service provider in the country with a mission to transform access to quality, timely behavioral healthcare. Array is also the exclusive national telebehavioral partner to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Behavioral Health. Array offers telepsychiatry solutions and services across the continuum of care, from hospital to home, through its OnDemand, Scheduled, and AtHome divisions. For more than 20 years, Array has partnered with hundreds of hospitals and health systems, community healthcare organizations, and payers of all sizes to expand access to care and improve outcomes for underserved individuals, facilities, and communities. As an industry pioneer and established thought leader, Array has helped shape the field, define the standard of care, and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations. To learn more, visit www.arraybc.com.

 

If you are in crisis, call 988 to talk with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, text HOME to 741741 to connect to a free crisis counselor, or go to your nearest emergency room.