A meeting with UnitedHealthGroup officials last month has raised hopes that the company will improve its handling of mental-health benefits and raise its payments to providers, leaders of the Rhode Island Medical Society and other groups say.
United’s mental-health subsidiary, United Behavioral Health, has long been criticized by local providers as paying too little, keeping too small a network, and making it too difficult for subscribers to get care, both initially and in the long run.
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With United about to take over the state workers’ health care contract, providers expressed concern that the problems would become worse, and pressed the insurer to change its ways. Encouraged by state officials as well, United agreed to fly in two top behavioral-health executives from San Francisco and Minneapolis to discuss the concerns and try to find solutions.
In a meeting at the Medical Society described on the group’s Web site as “extraordinary,” the United officials heard from doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers, facing tough questions about the company’s policies and practices.
“United’s representatives were told that without dramatic changes in company policies and processes, United stands little chance of having an adequate network in place on Jan .1 to serve a substantially expanded base of subscribers,” the Medical Society reported. “United’s greatest challenge clearly lies in the area of behavioral health services, where evidence suggests that the company’s network is already inadequate for its current subscriber base. The challenge is compounded by company reimbursement policies that plainly discriminate against mental health patients and mental health professionals, and will therefore greatly handicap United’s ability to build the network it needs.”
The company’s response was mixed.
Richard Harris, executive director of the local chapter of the National Association of Clinical Social Workers, said it was “a cordial meeting,” and “I had a real sense that they plan to look at the rate issue,” though the United officials wouldn’t provide details.
“I found they were very willing to listen to everyone’s concerns,” Harris added. “But I could tell they disagreed with many of the points, but they decided not to bring them up because they wanted the meeting to be cordial.”
Debora M. Spano, spokeswoman for UnitedHealthcare of New England, said company officials did say they were “inclined to modify the fee schedule with all due speed,” so providers would feel better-compensated. They also committed themselves to “fast-tracking” the provider credentialing process, so the United network can be expanded quickly in anticipation of the state workers’ Jan. 1 switch from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.
In addition, Spano said, United said it would add a “senior resource person” in behavioral health for Rhode Island, whom providers could call to solve any problems, and it would likely make some changes to its authorization process, to make it less burdensome.
Dr. Fredric V. Christian, president of the Medical Society, called the meeting “a positive step in a long march to achieve mental health parity.” Peter G. Erickson, of the Rhode Island Psychological Association, called the meeting “promising.” But all the provider groups are waiting to see what United actually does, and how it responds to many questions that were not directly answered at the meeting. United has promised to come back with a “specific plan” before the December holidays, the group said.
