Details emerge on<br> behavioral collaboration

Ian Lang, executive director Continuum Behavioral Health, which is collaborating on HealthPath, with Care New England and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. / PBN FILE PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS
Ian Lang, executive director Continuum Behavioral Health, which is collaborating on HealthPath, with Care New England and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. / PBN FILE PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

PROVIDENCE – Care New England and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island recently announced the launch of HealthPath, a new two-year pilot program in collaboration with Continuum Behavioral Health.

HealthPath, which will serve up to 230 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island commercially insured subscribers at a given time, will link participants to a comprehensive set of customized, integrated services including counseling, psychiatry, care coordination, medication management, connections to primary care and wellness programs, as well as vocational support and case management.

During the course of their involvement, a team of clinicians and case managers will work closely with each patient to develop a strategy that will focus on creating stability and control over their life and health, enabling patients to focus on getting well.

In August 2012, BCBSRI and Care New England signed a letter of intent to create a partnership that will further improve healthcare delivery and patient health outcomes, while slowing increases in healthcare costs. The HealthPath pilot is one of the efforts underway to address systemic issues the healthcare delivery system is facing in Rhode Island.

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The HealthPath program is based on a Health Home treatment model designed by Continuum’s parent company, The Providence Center. This approach has proven effective in improving patient outcomes while reducing costs for at-need Medicaid patients in Rhode Island.

“Through this strategic partnership, BCBSRI and Care New England are working together to change Rhode Island’s healthcare delivery system and the way we pay for healthcare,” said Peter Andruszkiewicz, President and CEO of BCBSRI. “Recognizing that individuals with behavioral health challenges frequently face a number of other issues that impact their ability to effectively use the system, we collaborated to create an end-to-end model that will result in improvements to both the patient experience and long-term outcomes.”

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