BHB Tech Talks: Key Issues in Value-Based Care with CHESS Health

This article is sponsored by CHESS Health. This article is based on BEhavioral Health News’ Tech Talks virtual conversation with CEO of Chase Health and Greg Williams, Founder of Third Horizon Strategies and Managing Director of Addiction Reform, Hans Morefield. The conversation took place on June 7, 2022.

Health plans recognize the importance of addressing substance use disorder (SUD) among members because of its correlation with their total cost of care (3-4x the cost of members without SUD). At the same time, health plans are rapidly increasing the costs of SUD treatment. For both reasons, the shift to value-based care for SUD treatment is accelerating to align provider incentives with health plan outcomes goals, and innovators, in turn, are looking for ways to link care into a single continuum.

“We need to find ways and means to integrate SUD care into the many different services we have now,” said Greg Williams, managing director of Third Horizon Strategies and founder of the Alliance for Addiction Reform, at a recent BHB Tech Talks virtual event. Discussion.

It can be difficult to predict when an individual will need to access or engage in caregiving, but value-based payment can help adjust how caregivers are supported for people with behavioral health needs, especially people with SUD.

“We’re buying a constellation of services, not an individual point solution or individual point in the care continuum as it is today,” says Williams. To this end, behavioral health care providers should consider some key principles when supporting patient recovery in value-based care:

• Substance use disorder care should be provided by a variety of providers. That may include certified SUD professionals, peer recovery coaches, care coordination providers, primary care and behavioral health professionals. All of these can serve a variety of functions for people, including communication with other health providers, such as dental or pharmacy services.

• Right people, right time. “We need to make sure we’re tracking people, making sure they’re connected to the right people at the right time and that recovery support is available all day and night,” Williams said. “That’s where technology becomes really important in value-based drug addiction care.”
• Care gaps can be critical recovery opportunities. It is important to remember that even when individuals are in intensive outpatient (IOP) and outpatient care, there are gaps in care between their visits. For multiple recovery services or multiple treatments, that gap is a full week between visits. Providers need to address support between visits, and this is another area where technology can help.

Technology helps providers achieve value-based care in two ways. First, multi-dimensional platforms such as the Chase Health platform can connect and track individual multi-level treatment, ongoing recovery support and assistance with SDOH needs as a single integrated unit rather than a series of services. Second, patient engagement technology, like CHESS Health’s eRecovery solution, focuses on helping an individual succeed in treatment through a combination of smartphone app, peer group, and care management functions that provide 24/7 recovery support to individuals between treatment visits. Stay in treatment and achieve long-term recovery.

“Helping individuals succeed in long-term recovery is something we all care about along the health care continuum,” says Morefield. “Providers, health plans, the public sector, community programs, and friends and family all play a critical role.”

This article is based on a conversation with CHESS Health. To watch the full discussion on video, please visit:

Chase Health is a leading provider of evidence-based digital solutions to address addiction and substance abuse. To learn more, visit: https://www.chess.health/.