Behavioral Health Episodes

We sit down with Esha Mittal and Dr. Todd May of Health Net to examine the gap between societal perception and the reality of teen loneliness.

17 minutes. That's how long Lindsay Clancy's last psychiatric visit lasted — the day before her three children died. Nine prescribers. Two hospitals. A suicide hotline called twice. And allegedly, not one person connecting the dots.

Kids authorized for private-duty nursing often can't get home from the hospital because the pediatric home health network that looks adequate on paper — hundreds of agencies — shrinks to a handful (roughly 8 of 200 in NJ) that actually take high-acuity pediatric cases, turning "authorized hours" into a false promise.

Got a contract. The fee schedule is fine. Not great — fine. And now the question isn't can we do this. It's should we, and on what terms?

Before you deploy capital into a tele-behavioral health market — run this checklist.

Rate sheets alone will mislead you. I've seen operators get into markets with strong Medicaid rates, only to get squeezed by high clinical labor costs, concentrated MCO power, or zero licensure compact coverage.

Why are employers paying up to four times Medicare rates for identical procedures? Dr. Kumar Dharmarajan joins Alex Yarijanian to break down incentive alignment, Medicare Advantage contracting, AI-driven engagement, and the structural pricing gap between MA and commercial markets.

A federal jury has convicted the founders of Done, one of the fastest-growing telehealth companies in the stimulant-prescribing space, for orchestrating one of the largest Adderall distribution and fraud schemes in U.S. history. More than 40 million stimulant pills, over $100 million in revenue, and a business model engineered around speed, volume, and automated prescribing — all built with no real clinical guardrails.


In this episode, host Alex Yarijanian breaks down not only what happened, ...

Medicare’s 2026 physician fee schedule is packed with change — but change means opportunity. In this episode of the VBCA Podcast, Alex Yarijanian breaks down the five biggest updates every provider and startup should know:



Shorter, billable windows for remote monitoring


New behavioral health add-ons to primary care


Incentives that reward value-based care


Expanded reimbursement for digital therapeutics & telehealth


A major shift from inpatient to outpatient procedures




Whethe...

In this episode of the VBCA podcast, host Alex Yarijanian delves into the often overlooked yet crucial aspect of leadership: emotional labor. Discover how managing emotions plays a pivotal role in negotiations and leadership effectiveness. Alex shares personal experiences and insights on how emotional labor can be both a powerful tool and a silent tax on leaders, especially for those challenging dominant norms. Tune in to learn how to harness emotional intelligence to build trust and lead with e...

This podcast episode delves into the intricate relationship between mindfulness meditation and its profound implications for healthcare leadership. We explore how mindfulness practices not only enhance emotional well-being but also significantly improve the quality and effectiveness of leadership within healthcare settings. Through a rigorous examination of scientific evidence, we elucidate the neurological benefits of mindfulness, demonstrating its capacity to modulate stress and foster cogniti...

This conversation explores the historical context of childbirth, the current state of maternal mortality in the U.S., and the emerging role of doulas in modern maternity care. It highlights the paradox of high maternal mortality rates despite advanced medical technology and discusses how doulas can improve outcomes and reduce costs in the healthcare system.

Tips are provided to strategically leveraging the doula opportunity in risk-based contracting.

Takeaways:
The integration of doulas into m...

In this episode of the VBCA Podcast, host Alex Yarijanian and guest Dr. Chris Esguerra delve into the complexities of mental health parity, emphasizing the necessity for behavioral health services to receive the same level of care and coverage as physical health services. They discuss the challenges providers face when navigating insurance plans and the barriers to accessing equitable care for patients.

The system used to pay for health care today does not encourage the integration of health care and social care, nor can it adequately adapt to the trending shift toward value-based payments for care — paying for better quality and better health outcomes. New financing approaches are needed to enable the health care sector to engage in activities that strengthen social care and community resource.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://healthcare-wiki.com/2021/07/21/paying-for-bi...

California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 25 signed Senate Bill 855, Health coverage: mental health or substance use disorders, into law. The law increases health and disability insurers' coverage obligations for mental health and addiction diagnosis, prevention, and treatment in the state.