Insurer Expands Psych Coaching Policy, But Is It The Right Fix?

Is a behavioral health coach offering from the nation’s largest insurer the right approach for mental health assessment? Some say yes, some no.

United Healthcare is now giving 13 million of its members access to child and family behavioral coaching program. The program started in 2023 only for people who got their insurance from big self-insured employer plans. Now fully-insured people have access to the services, which include up to four virtual coaching sessions per month, unlimited messaging and educational resources, and referrals when a higher level of care is needed. The program primarily serves younger populations, with an average participant age of 12.

Some say it’s better than AI, better than waiting months to see a psychiatrist or psychologist, and certainly better than having access but not having the money to pay someone $200-$300 just for a single session. Others raise questions about the quality of the interaction and the risk it may miss important risks in tweens and teens, if not overstate risks.

Those delivering the virtual coaching are wellness coaches but unlikely, a source said, to be licensed clinicians. The coaches educate and support but assessing risk in a 12-15 year old is likely difficult. The coaches will, we assume, hear things in their virtual meetings that may signal a problem, a risk the kid wants to hurt themselves, is deeply depressed, and in that case would bring or handoff to a psych professional in United Healthcare’s network…..my questions:

How are the coach’s trained?

Are they trained in suicide care?

How are they compensated?

Are they incented to solve? Are they rewarded for fewer referrals or more, if at all?

Is there a real benefit that we’re missing - like without the coach the individual would have to wait and may not get flagged at all?

How is this program/product any different than the 988 crisis line from the US government?

Are we expecting too much from insurers and our labor force who are trying to at least offer something to get people to talk and share. Not perfect, but access.

Or is this program destinated to face quality issues given the likely lack of training/experience of the coaches?