Vida Health to become in-network mental health provider for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois

Virtual chronic care company Vida Health, today announced it’s joining Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois’ network of providers to deliver Vida’s best-in-class, on-demand virtual mental health solution to millions of lives in the state.

Now, as an in-network provider, eligible Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) members enrolled in PPO products will have access to Vida’s full spectrum of subclinical to clinical mental health services. The on-demand programs help members tackle a broad set of therapeutic areas like depression, stress, anxiety, and sleep. Vida also provides access to licensed case managers if members need an offline referral or medication management.

“We’re proud to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois to provide evidence-based virtual mental healthcare to millions of Illinoisans,” said Stephanie Tilenius, Vida Health Founder and CEO. “Unfortunately, mental health treatments have been slow to adapt to the changing world and it’s left a large swath of those in need behind. Our program offers immediate access to therapy and mental health coaching that’s not only more inclusive and convenient, but more effective – with more than 80% of people showing improvement in just 12 weeks. For us, going in-network is an important milestone to providing true value-based mental health as part of the healthcare system.”

BCBSIL members who sign up for Vida have access to the company’s virtual services as well as 24-hour text and chat capabilities with their mental health coach or licensed therapist. They also have access to customized content and lessons, support groups, thought trackers, and health lessons that reinforce self-management and skill-building. Virtual therapy, mental health coaching, and digital therapeutics supplement BCBSIL’s existing mental health networks, EAPs, and managed solutions. Employers with BCBSIL coverage can combine Vida’s in-network relationship with easy-to-access options for its employees.

All of Vida’s licensed therapists enter the company with a prerequisite of at least five years of experience and training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Mental health coaches are trained in CBT principles, motivational interviewing, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and resilience.

Vida is the only major virtual care company that has full-stack mental health solutions in both English and Spanish. The Spanish-language service allows Spanish-speaking BCBSIL members to fully engage with the Vida app and their coaches, therapists, and care navigators completely in Spanish.

Vida has multiple published studies demonstrating its efficacy when treating mental health ailments like depression and anxiety. In a JMIR paper published in 2020, members saw depression and anxiety reductions of 61% and 55% respectively. While the pandemic brought increased attention to the seriousness of mental health issues, getting timely treatment continues to be a challenge. In 2020, a Vida survey found that 88% of Americans said they had experienced at least one of the major symptoms of depression since the onset of the pandemic, and one in six people started therapy for the first time.

Vida has programs beyond mental healthcare that show lasting outcomes for such chronic diseases as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Vida’s best-in-class outcomes are attributed to its unique approach of addressing both the physical and underlying mental health ailments at the same time.

Vida is the only virtual care platform that was designed from the ground up to treat people with multiple chronic conditions — like diabetes and depression — through a balance of machine learning that customizes each person’s treatment and the human connection of real-life health coaches and therapists who bring the empathy and accountability people need to reach their goals. The company is a licensed medical provider in all 50 states and has clients that include employers like Boeing, Visa, Cisco, and eBay, along with some of the country’s largest health plans like Centene, Humana, and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans.