AbleTo engages patients through two methods, proactive outreach based on claims data provided by health plan providers and referrals from healthcare providers.

Increasing rates of depression and lack of resources available to address mental health issues are fueling a boom in digital mental health providers.

One provider reaping the benefits of investors’ willingness to fund this growing healthcare segment is AbleTo Inc., which recently received $36.6 million in new funding. The New York-based digital behavioral health provider, which has raised $57.4 million since its founding in 2008, will use the money to scale its operations to treat millions of patients through its platform, up from thousands currently, and increase the number of the therapists and behavioral coaches with which it contracts. AbleTo currently contracts with more than 300 licensed clinical social workers and behavioral coaches that use its platform to connect with patients by video or phone, and follow its protocols for patient treatment.

To reach consumers in need of mental health treatment, AbleTo works with about 10 health insurance carriers that include its services as part of their health plans. Carriers packaging AbleTo in their health plan include Aetna, Horizon BlueCross and BlueShield of New Jersey and Premera Blue Cross. Aetna became an investor during the latest funding series. Horizon Healthcare Services Inc., the parent of Horizon Blue Cross, was an early investor in AbleTo and upped its investment during the latest funding round. Bain Capital Ventures was the lead investor on the current round of funding.

AbleTo engages patients through two methods, proactive outreach based on claims data provided by health insurance carriers and referrals from healthcare providers. Working with health insurance carriers, AbleTo analyzes claims data to identify consumers at risk of depression, anxiety, stress or health conditions that can lead to mental health issues such as cancer and diabetes. The company then reaches out to the consumer through their employer’s health plan to let them know the services available to address their mental health needs. AbleTo offers 18 cognitive behavioral health modules.

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To book an appointment, patients first fill out on an online assessment of their mental health issue. If AbleTo deems treatment appropriate, it determines into which treatment bucket the patient falls. The patient is then matched with a therapist and instructed on setting up an appointment. Each treatment module can be customized by the therapist to meet the patient’s needs and improve outcomes. Patients can connect with a therapist via web-based video through AbleTo.com using a computer or mobile device or by phone. Appointments can be scheduled any time of day or night, seven days a week. More than 10,000 patients have been through an AbleTo program, the company says.

The cost of a therapy or behavioral coaching session through AbleTo, including the co-payment, is typically covered in full for the patient by their health plan provider

“Behavioral health treatment is becoming a priority for employers and health plan providers because it can reduce employee absenteeism and loss of productivity due to mental health issues in the workplace and healthcare costs,” says Dorothy Gemmell, chief commercial officer for AbleTo.

While depression is a common behavioral health issue, one aspect of the illness that gets overlooked is that diabetes patients suffering from depression can have difficulty making lifestyle changes needed to manage their condition. Since 2012, Aetna has included AbleTo’s diabetes forum as part of AbleTo’s mental health services available to its members. Aetna members seeking treatment through the forum meet with a therapist during the eight week program to address the emotional challenges with diabetes, as well as a behavioral coach to make healthier lifestyle choices.

The cost of a therapy or behavioral coaching session through AbleTo, including the co-payment, is typically covered in full for the patient by their health plan provider. In some cases the patient’s employer will help pick up those costs, Gemmell says. “Our clients realize that co-pays are a barrier to employees seeking help, so they are eliminating that cost to the employee,” she adds.

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AbleTo, which submits claims directly to health plans on behalf of the therapist, would not disclose what percentage of the claim amount it receives or the fee it pays to its therapists.

While the number of people suffering from mental health issues is growing, Gemmell says, people are nevertheless reluctant to address those issues. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Massachusetts says 71% of adults in the United States suffering from depression will not contact a mental health professional and that employees experiencing depression lose 35% of productivity per week.

“There is a stigma attached to being treated for mental health issues and health plans and employers are working to eliminate that stigma to improve outcomes and workplace productivity,” Gemmell says.

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