Behavioral Health Group now accepting Aetna nationwide for comprehensive, addiction treatment and recovery services

Dallas, Oct. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today Behavioral Health Group (BHG) announced that, effective Nov. 1, all 117 of its medication-assisted recovery^SM (MAR) treatment centers across 23 states are now accepting Aetna® insurance for its comprehensive addiction treatment and recovery services. Additionally, patients can receive treatment under Medicaid and original Medicare with no out-of-pocket costs.  BHG’s national footprint of treatment centers will serve 9.1 million Aetna members and cover adult family members in much the same way as urgent care facilities, accepting walk-ins and same-day/next-day appointments. 

Opioid overdose deaths are a public health crisis and now represent the number one cause of accidental death in the U.S., surpassing automobile accidents in 2018. In 2021, overdose deaths in this country increased 30% and topped 100,000 for the first time.[1] In 2020[2], more than 2.7 million people had an opioid use disorder (OUD) and 40.3 million people over the age of 12 reported having a past year substance use disorder (SUD). However, only 11%[3] of these individuals received care at a specialty facility. Moreover, 17 million adults[4] are reported to have both SUD and any mental illness (AMI). 

“The fact that Aetna benefits cover all services provided in BHG facilities speaks to their understanding of the disease as deeply complex with a high co-occurrence of mental health disorders,” said Jay Higham, CEO for BHG. “And it aligns with our belief that Medication-Assisted Recovery (MAR) is the evidence-based clinical model that delivers on long-term recovery which is defined as individuals improving their health and wellness, living a self-directed life, and striving to reach their full potential. BHG provides the full spectrum of FDA-approved medications, counseling and mental health services, intensive outpatient programs, and harm reduction pathways that Aetna expects from providers serving their members.”  

MAR has repeatedly been shown in randomized, controlled trials to be superior to psychosocial interventions alone in helping patients with SUDs abstain from drug misuse and stay in treatment. As a leading MAR provider, BHG’s proprietary Integrated Dynamic Care Model (IDCM) meets patients where they are by offering multiple pathways to evidence-based treatment and recovery for SUD.  

“It’s a program, not a pill,” said Dr. Benjamin Nordstrom, Chief Medical Officer for BHG. “Our Integrated Dynamic Care Model uses medication that supports the treatment, and it’s the treatment that produces recovery. Medications can’t teach people adaptive coping skills or educate them on how to identify and avoid high-risk situations, repair broken relationships, or get them to have different tools to manage strong, negative feelings. Treatment does those things, and that’s why it’s such an important part of what we do.”

The IDCM includes focusing on the whole person by addressing social factors where the root cause and triggers reside. Beyond clinic walls, local BHG staff continuously work to eliminate barriers to services and systems that hinder a person’s recovery by partnering with community resources, the criminal justice system, and law enforcement. 

To learn more information about BHG, visit www.bhgrecovery.com or call toll-free 844-535-7291.

About BHG

Behavioral Health Group (BHG) is a fast-growing healthcare company creating a new class of recovery center for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). BHG specializes in medication-assisted recovery (MAR) combined with addiction counseling delivered through the largest network of Joint Commission-accredited outpatient treatment and recovery centers in the U.S. Founded in 2006 and led by an experienced executive team with deep experience in the healthcare and behavioral health industries, BHG believes that comprehensive, evidence-based, personalized treatment plans focused on real recovery restore lives, strengthen families, and rejuvenate the communities in which we serve. BHG capabilities include a full range of counseling and behavioral health therapies for individual, family, and group counseling, medication-assisted recovery, intensive outpatient programs, mental health services, case management, and community resource coordination services delivered in its treatment centers and through telehealth. BHG treatment centers provide access to all FDA-approved medications through in-center dosing or prescriptions programs. BHG accepts Medicare, Medicaid, most major commercial health plans, and works with state grants to support patients who choose to self-pay. With 117 locations in 24 states, BHG has more than 2,100 employees who serve more than 43,000 patients. To learn more, visit bhgrecovery.com.

[1] Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System (NVSS)

[2] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-nsduh-annual-national-report

[3] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-nsduh-annual-national-report

[4] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-nsduh-annual-national-report