WellCare and AbleTo Partner to Bring Virtual Behavioral Healthcare to Medicare Advantage Members in New York

NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., July 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) and AbleTo, a leading provider of virtual behavioral healthcare, announced today the launch of a new program to serve WellCare's Medicare Advantage members in New York.  

Nearly 44 million Americans experience mental illness in a given year, yet 60% of adults didn't receive treatment in the U.S. last year. Unaddressed behavioral health conditions can significantly impact a person's overall health and well-being.

Working with the WellCare team, AbleTo analyzes health data and identifies members who would benefit from treatment, and then delivers that care virtually or over the telephone through a nationwide network of skilled professionals. Members work with a therapist and coach for up to eight weeks of personalized care. AbleTo's evidence-based, structured treatment improves clinical outcomes and reduces medical costs.

"The costs of untreated behavioral health needs are significant, attributing to poor clinical outcomes and increased medical costs," said Trip Hofer, CEO of AbleTo. "Our high-quality virtual care meets patients where they are physically and emotionally with evidence-based, personalized treatment programs that helps better the overall health of members and lowers cost of care."

"One in five Americans experiences mental illness in a given year, yet less than half seek out treatment due to the associated stigma or outside barriers to care such as lack of health insurance or transportation issues," said Sander Koyfman, WellCare's behavioral health medical director in New York. "At WellCare, we're excited to partner with AbleTo to offer our members access to high-quality behavioral healthcare options in a convenient, appropriate setting."

AbleTo virtual behavioral healthcare services are available to all WellCare Medicare Advantage members in the state of New York.

As of March 31, 2019, WellCare serves approximately 310,000 members in New York, including 157,000 Medicaid members, 89,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 64,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members.

About AbleTo
AbleTo, Inc. is a market leader in providing technology-enabled behavioral health care. AbleTo has been treating patients for over six years, and improves patient outcomes and lowers costs by providing treatment that integrates behavioral and medical health care. AbleTo's structured therapy programs strengthen medical recovery and self-care among members with chronic or complex clinical needs. AbleTo analytics, coupled with our multi-channel engagement platform, identify and engage members with unmet, often undiagnosed, behavioral health needs. A proprietary platform connects individuals and their care teams with AbleTo licensed providers who deliver weekly sessions by phone or video supported by an integrated digital experience. AbleTo programs are clinically proven to improve both behavioral health and medical outcomes while lowering overall spending for higher-cost, higher-risk members. Follow AbleTo on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses primarily on providing government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, as well as individuals in the Health Insurance Marketplace. WellCare serves approximately 6.3 million members nationwide as of March 31, 2019. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.