UnitedHealth Group’s health services division, Optum, has experienced a dramatic surge in behavioral health appointments, driven largely by the coronavirus pandemic and a rapid expansion in telehealth services. According to a recent report from Fierce Healthcare, behavioral health visits through Optum skyrocketed by 130% compared to pre-pandemic levels. This sharp rise demonstrates how telehealth behavioral health growth has become a critical force transforming mental health care access and delivery.
Telehealth as a Game-Changer for Equity and Population Health
Executives at UnitedHealth Group describe telehealth as a revolutionary tool that is bringing greater equity to health care delivery and enabling the company to tackle population health challenges at scale. This is especially significant in behavioral health, where barriers such as stigma, transportation, and provider shortages have traditionally limited access.
UnitedHealth’s Medicaid plans have been a focal point for telehealth behavioral health growth, with visits increasing by an impressive 200%. Medicaid serves some of the most vulnerable groups — including children, individuals with disabilities, and those facing economic hardships — so increasing access here has far-reaching implications.
Dr. Margaret-Mary Wilson, Chief Medical Officer at UnitedHealth Group, emphasized the role telehealth plays in connecting patients with care teams:
“We are leaning into telehealth to be a connection point by fostering connectedness between the patient and healthcare provider team.”
This connection is vital for effective behavioral health treatment, which often relies on ongoing communication and trust between patients and providers.
Telehealth Usage Varies Across Insurance Types, Revealing Opportunities
While telehealth behavioral health growth has surged, the rate varies across insurance populations. Among Medicaid recipients, telehealth claims accounted for 34% of visits, trailing Medicare Advantage at 44% and commercial insurance plans leading with 60%. This gap suggests that Medicaid populations still face obstacles to fully utilizing telehealth, such as digital literacy challenges, limited broadband access, or fewer telehealth-enabled providers.
The disparity highlights a crucial area for growth and innovation. By tailoring telehealth solutions to overcome these barriers, payers and providers can improve access for those who need care most.
Medicaid’s Scale and the Importance of Government Partnerships
Medicaid is a massive program, covering approximately 83.2 million Americans — nearly one in four people in the United States, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This coverage includes children, elderly adults, individuals with disabilities, and low-income populations.
Federal and state governments collaborate to manage Medicaid benefits, ensuring vulnerable populations receive critical health services. The expansion of telehealth aligns with these efforts, as it can deliver care more efficiently and help close longstanding access gaps. In fact, telehealth’s flexibility makes it an ideal tool to reach rural areas, underserved urban communities, and patients with mobility challenges.
UnitedHealth Group’s Innovation in Telehealth for Behavioral Health
UnitedHealth Group and its divisions are making significant strides to embed telehealth into behavioral health care models, further fueling telehealth behavioral health growth:
- Optum’s Direct-to-Consumer Mental Health Service: In August, Optum launched a cash-only, subscription-based mental health service. This innovative approach allows consumers to access therapy and psychiatric services directly, without going through traditional insurance or provider networks. It caters to individuals who want flexibility or who may not have sufficient insurance coverage for behavioral health.
- UnitedHealthcare’s NavigateNOW Plan: Announced in October, NavigateNOW is a digital-first health plan designed to offer seamless access to virtual and in-person care. Initially available through employers in nine markets, NavigateNOW provides free behavioral health and primary care visits for members, removing financial barriers that often prevent people from seeking treatment.
Dirk McMahon, UnitedHealth Group’s Chief Operating Officer, expressed strong confidence in telehealth’s potential to solve behavioral health access challenges:
“Telehealth can fix a nagging access problem in the behavioral health space.”
This view echoes broader industry trends where telehealth behavioral health growth is seen as an essential part of mental health care infrastructure.
Addressing Behavioral Health Challenges During and Beyond the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and intensified behavioral health needs nationwide, with increases in anxiety, depression, substance use, and other mental health conditions. Social isolation, economic stress, and disruptions to normal routines created unprecedented demand for behavioral health services.
UnitedHealth Group’s rapid telehealth expansion met this surge head-on. By making virtual appointments widely available, the company ensured that patients could receive continuous care without risking exposure to the virus. The convenience of telehealth also lowered common barriers such as transportation, scheduling conflicts, and stigma.
Looking ahead, telehealth is expected to remain a cornerstone of behavioral health treatment. The ongoing challenge will be integrating virtual care smoothly with in-person services and ensuring equitable access for all populations, which will drive continued telehealth behavioral health growth.
The Future of Behavioral Health Care: Integration and Accessibility
UnitedHealth Group’s investments in telehealth reflect a broader shift toward more integrated, patient-centered behavioral health care. This means combining technology, clinical expertise, and flexible care models to meet patients where they are.
With plans like NavigateNOW and direct-to-consumer mental health services, UnitedHealth is pioneering new pathways to care that emphasize convenience, affordability, and accessibility. These efforts are particularly important for Medicaid populations, who historically face greater barriers to behavioral health care.
Moreover, data from telehealth visits provide valuable insights that can help tailor treatments, identify population health trends, and improve overall outcomes, fueling sustained telehealth behavioral health growth.
Conclusion
UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division’s 130% increase in behavioral health visits underscores how telehealth behavioral health growth has become a vital tool in expanding access to mental health care. The dramatic rise in telehealth-enabled visits, especially among Medicaid enrollees, signals a major shift in how behavioral health services are delivered.
While challenges remain—such as closing usage gaps between insurance types and addressing digital barriers—UnitedHealth’s innovative programs and leadership position it at the forefront of transforming behavioral health care.
By embracing telehealth, UnitedHealth Group is not only responding to the immediate demands of the pandemic but also laying the groundwork for a more accessible, equitable, and effective behavioral health system for the future.