Major payers are increasingly turning to digital behavioral health providers to address gaps in care that their current networks may not fully cover. Traditional healthcare systems often struggle with limited specialist availability, long wait times, geographic barriers, and privacy concerns. Digital behavioral health platforms, including telehealth mental health services, are helping to fill these gaps by offering fast, convenient, and discreet access to care.
For payers, this approach is not only about meeting demand but also about improving outcomes, supporting value-based care initiatives, and enhancing member satisfaction. For digital behavioral health providers, these partnerships unlock access to large populations of potential patients, often on an in-network basis, while allowing payers, employers, and government entities to evaluate emerging digital solutions and determine which offer real value.
Expanding Partnerships in Digital Addiction Treatment
One recent example of this trend is Evernorth, the health services arm of Cigna Corp. Evernorth recently expanded its collaboration with New York City-based digital addiction treatment provider Quit Genius to include alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). Originally, this partnership focused on Quit Genius’ nicotine cessation tool in 2020.
“[There is] a recognition by incumbent health care companies that digital health is quite frankly here to stay,” Quit Genius CEO Dr. Yusuf Sherwani told Behavioral Health Business.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth and digital behavioral health solutions were often regarded as “an interesting curiosity.” While some early adopters experimented with virtual care, it was largely considered a convenience rather than an essential service. The pandemic, however, acted as a forcing function, rapidly accelerating adoption.
“Quickly we had COVID happen, which much like with remote work, forced people for the first time to try telemedicine…And they liked it a lot,” Sherwani said.
The appeal of telehealth mental health services is multifaceted: patients can access care from the comfort of their own homes, maintain privacy, avoid travel, and schedule appointments more flexibly. Recognizing these benefits, Evernorth has also partnered with Bicycle Health, a digital OUD treatment provider, expanding its virtual care offerings for individuals struggling with opioid addiction.
Meeting Pent-Up Demand with Digital Behavioral Health
Digital behavioral health platforms are helping payers meet pent-up demand for care that has often been delayed. In August, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield (Empire BCBS) announced that digital behavioral health companies Alma, Headway, NOCD, and Ophelia Health were now in-network for members. This expansion added over 5,000 new providers and specialties to Empire BCBS’s network, greatly improving access and supporting value-based care initiatives.
“Through these four partnerships alone, we have added north of 5,000 new providers to the network. That alone we thought was worthwhile,” said Jordan Vidor, regional vice president of provider solutions for Empire BCBS.
Headway, which partners with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield—the largest commercial therapist network in the Washington, D.C., region—was able to connect more than 5,300 members to care between June 2022 and August. More impressively, the average time to first appointment was under a week. This rapid access addresses long-standing barriers in behavioral health care, where traditional therapy wait times can extend to several months.
Vidor emphasized that bringing these digital providers in-network is not just about convenience. “There was pent-up demand and people who have put off care that they really needed for a long time and finally now have a solution like this…That has immense value.”
The ultimate goal is to improve treatment adherence, engagement with care, and overall health outcomes while reducing the need for downstream interventions. Digital behavioral health providers are uniquely positioned to participate in value-based care because they generate rich data that allows for continuous measurement and optimization of outcomes.
Access to Specialized Care
Digital platforms also address a critical need for specialized care that is often unavailable or difficult to access. Stephen Smith, CEO and co-founder of NOCD, explained that exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy—the gold standard treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—is a prime example. OCD affects about 2.3% of U.S. adults over their lifetimes, or roughly 7.6 million people, with about half of those cases considered severe.
OCD is often misunderstood by general practitioners and can manifest in very specific, sometimes taboo fears that can only be managed through compulsions. Many patients are misdiagnosed or fail to seek care, leading to a higher need for additional interventions and increased healthcare costs. ERP teaches patients to face fears gradually and develop healthier responses—a process that can be effectively delivered virtually.
“ERP is a treatment that is effectively delivered in a virtual setting, not only based on our experience but also research conducted externally and peer-reviewed,” Smith said.
For patients, virtual delivery through telehealth mental health platforms provides convenience, privacy, and a safe environment for practicing exposures. Traditional access to ERP specialists is limited: fewer than 2,000 exist in the U.S., most are concentrated in urban centers, and many operate out-of-network, making care expensive and hard to access. NOCD dramatically reduces wait times to several days, enabling patients to engage in therapy quickly and cost-effectively.
“By partnering with NOCD it’s now a reality for the Empire Blue Cross population to live a healthy life. That includes their families who are supporting them; it’s a whole family that usually is impacted by this devastating condition,” Smith said.
The Role of Digital Behavioral Health in Modern Healthcare
The expansion of telehealth mental health services reflects a broader shift in healthcare toward convenience, accessibility, and outcome-driven care. These platforms not only improve access to care for traditionally underserved populations but also allow payers and providers to implement more data-driven, value-based care models.
Digital behavioral health is particularly effective for:
- Reducing wait times: Virtual platforms can connect patients with licensed providers within days rather than months.
- Improving access to specialists: Conditions like OCD, eating disorders, or substance use disorders often require highly specialized treatment that may not exist locally.
- Enhancing engagement: Digital tools encourage patients to complete therapy programs, attend sessions, and track progress in real time.
- Offering privacy and convenience: Telehealth reduces stigma and logistical barriers, which increases adherence to treatment.
The growing adoption of telehealth mental health solutions demonstrates that patients increasingly prefer flexible, virtual care options for behavioral health needs.
Conclusion
Digital behavioral health is no longer a niche solution—it has become an essential component of modern healthcare. By providing faster access, specialized care, and data-driven insights, these platforms bridge critical gaps in traditional healthcare systems.
For payers, telehealth mental health services support value-based care and member satisfaction. For patients, they offer timely, affordable, and effective treatment options for mental health and substance use conditions. As these partnerships continue to expand, the future of behavioral health looks increasingly connected, accessible, and patient-focused.
With more patients seeking convenient care, the adoption of telehealth mental health platforms is expected to grow, solidifying their role in behavioral health treatment for years to come.
