General News
Published July 8, 2019
For all lines of business except FEP, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Supplement
We have expanded our behavioral health network to now include Talkspace. With Talkspace, your clients can easily connect to therapists and psychiatrists by video and text for about the same costs as an in-person visit.
Why does this matter?
We believe behavioral health is critical to our member’s overall health and well-being. Research shows that addressing people’s behavioral health needs helps to maintain better health overall, with fewer emergency room visits and inpatient admissions.
In addition, supporting people’s behavioral health needs leads to higher work productivity by helping to reduce the effects of absenteeism and presenteeism, which is working while sick.
Will this cost your clients extra?
Talkspace is a behavioral health provider within all our networks for the individual and group markets. This means there is no buy-up requirement for employers. Talkspace is not included in the provider networks for FEP, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Supplement.
Virtual behavioral health therapy sessions will have the same member cost shares as equivalent face-to-face visits, as described in each member’s benefit plan. The exact cost of a session depends on the specific service and type of provider.
What you should tell your clients
When you talk to your clients about the benefits of a Premera medical plan, tell them about our expanded behavioral health provider network.
Use these talking points:
- Premera is making it easier for members to get fast access to behavioral health services.
- They’ve added Talkspace to their behavioral health provider network.
- Talkspace provides access to 4,000 licensed therapists by video and text messaging regardless of date, location, or time of day.
More about Talkspace
Talkspace is available by live, face-to-face video appointments and text messaging. Text messaging means a therapist will respond quickly, usually in less than a day. It is not a live chat where a member can expect an immediate response to their text.
Here’s how members access Talkspace:
- They sign up for Talkspace at talkspace.com/premera.
- They will then be matched with the best therapist for them.
- Once they are notified of their match, they can start messaging with their therapist right away.
- While a majority of Talkspace patients stay with their initial provider, switching to a new provider is simple and timely.
Share now with your clients
Share the Talkspace guide by using this copy-and-share message in an email to your clients.
Premera is making healthcare work better by making it easier for members to get fast access to behavioral health services. Premera has expanded its behavioral health network to include Talkspace. With Talkspace, you have access to 4,000 licenses therapists by video and text messaging anytime, anywhere.
If you are sending this message to a group client, point out the additional resources about Talkspace found on the Employee Communications Center, our online library of ready-to-use resources for employers to share with employees. To access the Employee Communications Center, log in to the secure producer website and click on the link to the site.