AllWays Health Partners And Lyra Health Introduce Innovative Mental Health Solution
May 3, 2022 (SOMERVILLE, MA) – AllWays Health Partners, responding to a crisis in access to mental health services, today announced a partnership with Lyra Health to offer a new, comprehensive solution for AllWays members that will expand the availability of high-quality mental health services and promote overall health and well-being.
An innovative mental health solution for the Massachusetts market, this new integrated offering includes in-person, remote, and self-guided care enabled by an advanced digital platform, as well as advanced care coordination for members with more complex mental health needs.
Responding to a mental health crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this unique solution will allow AllWays members to receive faster access to mental health care, more clinical options, and greater ease of use.
Through Lyra, members can securely and confidentially seek clinically proven mental health services, find high-quality providers tailored to their individual needs, and book appointments quickly with a therapist or coach by video or in-person. Features include:
Fast Access to Appointments
Members can book an appointment online in as little as five minutes, with verified access to a first-available session in two days or less with a therapist or coach by video or in-person, enabling efficient access to mental health care services when they are needed, and reducing wait time.
Personalized Navigation
To find a provider that meets their needs, Lyra offers an advanced digital platform that matches members with evidence-based, culturally responsive care providers, access to 24/7 support, and concierge services to navigate complex mental health issues.
Comprehensive Care Options
Members can select comprehensive services for themselves and their children from Lyra mental health providers with multilingual options and diverse sensitivities and experiences. Using advanced machine learning, members answer a few simple questions and receive personalized recommendations empowering members to select services and providers that match their clinical needs and preferences. Members may also access self-guided online programs and securely and confidentially receive evidence-based mental health treatment.
“We listened to our members and partners who expressed a profound need for mental health services, and responded with an innovative solution,” said Lindsay Jubelt, MD, Mass General Brigham Chief Population Health Officer and Chief Medical Officer AllWays Health Partners. “Simply put, we have increased access to mental health services by making it easier and faster for people to get high-quality care when, where, and how they need it.”
The initiative addresses a crisis that began before, but has been accelerated by, the pandemic. A 2016 study by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis estimated that there would be a national shortage of as many as 57,490 psychologists by 2025. Six months into the pandemic, the crisis grew worse, with psychologists reporting increases in anxiety and depressive conditions of 74 percent and 60 percent respectively, according to a study by the American Psychological Association. In October of 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency in children’s mental health.
AllWays chose Lyra for this innovative partnership based on a rigorous and evidence-based review process informed by Mass General Brigham’s clinical mental health expertise and listening to the needs of members and employers.
“We are excited to be able to offer this mental health benefit to our employees and their families who use our AllWays insurance plans,” said Rose Sheehan, MBA, Chief Human Resources Officer for Mass General Brigham. “The pandemic has shined a light on the growing need for easily accessible mental health resources. Our organization thinks a lot about ways to combat stress, burnout, and other mental health pressures facing our workforce—and Lyra is an excellent partner to help combat these issues.”
“AllWays Health Partners has a long-standing track record of providing exceptional health care coverage,” said David Ebersman, CEO and co-founder, Lyra Health. “It is an honor to partner with the AllWays team to deliver fast access to high quality, culturally responsive mental health care to their members.”
In addition to serving AllWays’ members and customers, the initiative will help reduce health care costs by addressing mental health conditions that, left unchecked, can lead to more complicated and costly conditions in the future. Unaddressed mental health issues end up costing the country $113 billion annually, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The new program will be rolled out in phases beginning June 2022. It will initially be available to Mass General Brigham employees enrolled in AllWays Select and Plus employee health benefit plans and expanded to other AllWays members by January 2023.
About AllWays Health Partners
AllWays Health Partners is a health plan that serves commercial members and My Care Family, a Medicaid accountable care organization. For over 30 years, AllWays has delivered value to members and innovation to the health care system. As a member of Mass General Brigham, AllWays is advancing a highly integrated model of value-based care with one of the world’s leading health care systems to transform the customer experience and improve both care and coverage. Visit allwayshealthpartners.org to learn more.
About Lyra Health
Lyra Health is the leading provider of Workforce Mental Health benefits, serving 10 million global employees and their dependents. Lyra is transforming mental health care using intelligent matching technology, concierge navigation support, and an innovative digital platform to deliver a frictionless experience for members, providers, and employers. Lyra quickly connects members to an exclusive network of evidence-based providers, mental health coaches, digital wellness tools, and personalized medication programs. Lyra's approach to mental health care has been proven to help members improve or recover faster and reduce medical claims costs for employers. Providers interested in joining the Lyra network, please visit us here to learn more. For general information, visit lyrahealth.com.
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