Here are nine payer partnerships and investments in the virtual health realm Becker's has reported since Sept. 14.
- Molina Healthcare of California partnered with digital behavioral health company BeMe to provide teenagers with mental health support. The BeMe app provides activities and one-on-one coaching to provide support and coping skills for teenagers.
- Elevance Health commissioned a survey that found around half of Americans have not heard of virtual primary care, but those who use it find it appealing.
- Cigna Ventures and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona venture fund Trinnovate Ventures were among the backers of a $44.5 million investment in virtual mental healthcare provider Valera Health.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's venture capital arm, Blue Venture Fund, invested millions in digital musculoskeletal care startup Limber Health. The fund, along with firm Glenview Capital, led an $11 million series A investment in the startup. As part of the financing, the managing director of Blue Venture Fund will join Limber Health's board of directors.
- Aetna added mental telehealth provider Cyti Psychological to its networks in Oregon and California.
- Kaiser Permanente and mental healthcare provider Ginger are partnering to offer emotional telehealth support services to members. Members will be able to access no cost and appointment-free text messaging-based support coaches, personalized tools and resources, and a platform to track progress and goals.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will provide 200 memberships to virtual culturally-sensitive care provider Health in Her Hue. The payer said it will fund these memberships as part of the company's digital health collaborations with the city of Brooklyn Center, one of the most racially diverse communities in Minnesota and the only city in the state led by both a Black mayor and city manager.
- Humana and Aetna are the major payers that customers are most satisfied with the telehealth offerings from, according to the "J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study."
- Aetna, Cigna and Optum were among the backers of digital youth mental health provider Hopscotch, which has raised $8 million in seed funding. The New York City-based startup helps to simplify youth access to behavioral health services and makes it easier for pediatric providers to work with payers.