Headspace, Intermountain Health’s VBC subsidiary partner for mental health

Digital mental health company Headspace announced it is partnering with Intermountain Health’s value-based care subsidiary Castell to provide on-demand behavioral health services to select insurance plan members in Utah.

Headspace will be integrated into Castell’s care model, and providers in the value-based care company will be able to directly refer members to Headspace for behavioral health coaching and therapy. 

“Our goal with patients is to help them have the most holistic view of their health. Being able to better address and integrate a patient’s mental health status is critical to treating the whole person and elevating the quality of care they receive,” Jay Zerwekh, CEO of Castell, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to partner with Headspace to give patients access to behavioral health coaching and tools that can be tailored to meet their individual needs.”

THE LARGER TREND

In June, Headspace announced its extended partnership with employer health tech company Virgin Pulse. The collaboration would provide Virgin’s members and approximately 2,000 employees globally with full access to Headspace from its AI-enabled health and wellbeing platform, Homebase for Health. 

Last year the mental health platform acquired the Shine app, a mental wellness platform focused on culturally competent and inclusive offerings, and Sayana, maker of AI-enabled mental health-tracking and sleep apps. 

In 2021, Headspace merged with fellow digital mental health provider Ginger, an on-demand digital mental health coaching and video therapy platform, in a deal that reportedly valued the combined company at $3 billion. In turn, the company formed meditation and mental health company Headspace Health.

Within the past year, Headspace Health has suffered from two rounds of layoffs. In July, it let go of 181 workers, or about 15% of its workforce, and, in December, laid off about 4% of its workforce, or approximately 50 workers.   

Other companies providing digital behavioral health support include NeuroFlow, which allows healthcare providers to track, assess and connect with patients between traditional office visits, and Boston-based Author Health, a hybrid care platform for Medicare Advantage members with serious mental illness and substance use disorders.