Brave Health and MedArrive Team to Bring Virtual Mental Health to Most Vulnerable Medicaid Populations

Partnership integrates Brave Health's behavioral health services into home visits conducted by MedArrive's field provider network of licensed EMS professionals

MIAMI and NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brave Health, a virtual-first behavioral health provider focused on serving Medicaid populations, today announced an innovative referral partnership with MedArrive, the mobile-integrated care management platform company.

Through this collaboration, if MedArrive identifies an eligible health plan member in need of mental health support, MedArrive's field providers can immediately refer that member to Brave Health's behavioral health providers in real time and schedule care within days. Conversely, if Brave Health identifies an eligible health plan member that may benefit from MedArrive's home health services, then Brave Health will work with that health plan's case management team to align support.

Today, access to basic behavioral health services for the nation's most vulnerable populations is a public health crisis. The percentage of psychiatrists that accept Medicaid fell to 35 percent, according to previous research reported by JAMA Psychiatry. With nearly one in four Americans now receiving healthcare benefits through Medicaid, this gap leaves many without access to the ongoing, critical care they need. 

MedArrive's field provider network of highly trained, skilled paramedics, EMTs, and other healthcare professionals deliver a mix of in-home health care services, diagnostics, health assessments, and other important preventive health measures. When higher-acuity care is needed, members connect with physician-led telemedicine services. Field providers and case management teams also identify care gaps and help members address social needs, including transportation, nutrition, behavioral health needs, and mobility challenges.

"For individuals with multiple ongoing healthcare needs, navigating the system can be challenging," said Anna Lindow, CEO and co-founder, Brave Health. "Through this partnership with MedArrive, our goal is to reduce time to connection with services, and to improve outcomes and reduce costs."

Health insurers, and especially managed Medicaid health plans, often face significant challenges with their most vulnerable members. Both MedArrive and Brave Health provide critical healthcare services that help individuals overcome barriers to engagement, and now with an established integration, the two healthcare leaders can help health plans better coordinate more comprehensive care while potentially lowering costs.

"Mental health is one of the most important social determinants of health, and many of the populations MedArrive encounters have the least access to high-quality care," said Megan Thomasch, MD, MedArrive Vice President of Clinical Operations. "By integrating with Brave Health, we're confident that we can not only improve the health and well-being of those we care for, but we also can help our health plan partners reduce the cost of higher-acuity care."

Brave Health (www.bebravehealth.com) is a national, virtual-first behavioral health provider focused on serving Medicaid populations. The company offers outpatient services (therapy, psychiatry, peer support) for mental behavioral health conditions through its platform. Brave Health partners with more than 200 health plan contracts to cover more than 65 million members across 16 states, including Florida, New York and Texas.

MedArrive enables healthcare providers and payors to power care services into the home, leveraging a fully integrated care management platform that bridges the virtual care gap with physician-led telemedicine combined with our network of EMS professionals.

MedArrive's holistic care model, network of field providers, and technology serve vulnerable populations in their homes, building patient self-advocacy, lowering the total cost of care, and reconnecting the unengaged back to primary care. This unique approach gives patients access to trusted medical expertise by utilizing an untapped workforce, ultimately ensuring continuity of care, better patient outcomes, and significant cost savings for payers and providers alike.

MedArrive has more than 50,000 highly-skilled EMS providers in its national network. Services span dozens of clinical use cases, including chronic condition management, transitional care, readmission prevention, urgent care, vaccinations, palliative care, and more. For more information, visit medarrive.com.

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SOURCE MedArrive