Advancing Value-Based Behavioral Health Care Through Strategic Collaboration
The demand for high-quality, evidence-based behavioral health care remains significant in the United States. Every year, one in five U.S. adults experiences some form of mental illness, and many of these individuals live with complex or multiple conditions. Meeting this need requires collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders — from providers and payers to policymakers and community organizations.
For many clinicians, the challenge is not just treating one mental health condition but addressing overlapping and interdependent issues. It’s common for patients to present with multiple diagnoses, requiring a coordinated and multidisciplinary approach. The health care industry, including organizations like CVS Health, has made notable progress in improving access to care and focusing treatment on what works best for patients. However, given the scope of need, there is still considerable work to be done.
Zeroing in on Complex Behavioral Health Conditions
Improving the quality of behavioral health care often requires focusing on specific conditions where the need is great and the treatment challenges are unique. Eating disorders are a prime example. Affecting 5.5 million Americans annually, eating disorders not only pose serious physical and mental health risks but also create significant disruption in individuals’ daily lives.
The complexity of these disorders means they often require more than traditional treatment methods. Patients may need specialized care that addresses not just symptoms, but also underlying behavioral patterns, co-occurring mental health conditions, and long-term recovery strategies. The question is: how can the behavioral health system evolve to meet these needs more effectively?
The Role of Innovative Payment Models
One promising pathway is the use of value-based care (VBC) models. Unlike traditional fee-for-service models, which reward providers based on the quantity of care delivered, value-based models align payment with measurable improvements in patient outcomes.
In behavioral health — a field that often involves long-term, complex recovery journeys — this shift has the potential to create real change. Value-based care models can help ensure patients have timely access to appropriate treatment, reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, and improve overall quality of care.
These models succeed when health plans and behavioral health providers share a clear vision of success and collaborate closely to achieve it. While alignment may take time and vary based on the provider or condition, the combination of advanced data analytics, clinical outcome tracking, and mutual trust can drive substantial improvements. Payers, providers, and partners work together not only to treat conditions but also to measure what truly matters: patient well-being and sustained recovery.
Case Study: Aetna and Equip’s Partnership in Eating Disorder Treatment
A powerful example of value-based care in action is the partnership between Aetna — a CVS Health company — and Equip, a virtual eating disorder treatment provider. Established in 2021, the partnership was built on a shared goal: to standardize outcomes, reduce the disruption caused by eating disorders, and control the escalating costs associated with these conditions.
In just a few years, Aetna and Equip have reached more than 1,000 members across 47 states. The collaboration has recently expanded into a payment model that not only rewards positive health outcomes but also shares risk between the payer and provider. This arrangement supports Equip’s comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach, which integrates therapy, nutritional counseling, medical care, and peer support.
The partnership focuses on delivering care in a way that fits into patients’ lives, rather than disrupting them. For example, Katie, a nursing student diagnosed with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), initially received her diagnosis from a dietitian who was not an expert in this condition. Recognizing she needed specialized care, Katie was connected through Aetna to Equip’s multidisciplinary team.
Within six months, Katie had regained independence in her eating, gained weight, added exercise to her lifestyle, and begun trying new foods. She described her care as “evidence-based” and praised its ability to enable recovery without putting her life on hold — something she found rare in the eating disorder treatment world.
Measurable Outcomes and Real-World Impact
The results from the Aetna–Equip collaboration are compelling:
- 86% of members have made progress in their eating disorder treatment since 2021.
- The average reduction in eating disorder symptoms is 70%, as measured by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q).
- Depression and anxiety symptoms have declined by an average of 45%, measured by the PHQ-8 and GAD-7 screening tools.
- Many patients have achieved these outcomes from the comfort of their own homes, avoiding the need for more intensive inpatient care.
These outcomes illustrate the value of using standardized, clinically validated tools to track progress. By aligning on specific recovery metrics, Aetna and Equip have been able to deliver more consistent, patient-centered care.
Redefining Behavioral Health Care Success
Value-based care changes the way behavioral health care is measured and delivered. Traditional models often focus on the number of sessions provided or procedures performed. In contrast, value-based models define success by the extent to which patients achieve meaningful, sustainable improvements in their mental health.
Kristina Saffran, CEO and Co-Founder of Equip, summarizes this philosophy: “Value-based care only works if we’re measuring what really matters: patient outcomes. It provides a framework to align incentives around real recovery, not just session counts. For conditions like eating disorders, where the stakes are high and progress is complex, tracking outcomes isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.”
When implemented correctly, VBC collaborations benefit all stakeholders:
- Patients receive better, more personalized care.
- Providers have incentives aligned with delivering high-quality, effective treatment.
- Payers can manage costs more effectively by focusing on interventions that work.
- Employers benefit from healthier, more productive employees.
Building a Sustainable Future for Behavioral Health Care
The Aetna–Equip model demonstrates what is possible when payers and providers commit to a shared vision of patient-centered, outcomes-driven care. The success of this collaboration offers a blueprint for other areas of behavioral health — from substance use disorders to severe depression — where the same principles can be applied.
To replicate this success, health care organizations must:
- Standardize Outcomes: Establish agreed-upon definitions of recovery and measure them consistently across providers.
- Invest in Data and Technology: Use advanced analytics to track patient progress and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Share Best Practices: Promote transparency and collaboration among stakeholders to accelerate learning and improvement.
- Align Incentives: Structure payment models that reward quality and outcomes, not just service volume.
- Prioritize Patient-Centered Care: Meet patients where they are, tailoring interventions to their individual needs and circumstances.
As behavioral health care continues to evolve, value-based care arrangements like the one between Aetna and Equip offer a way forward — one that prioritizes evidence-based treatment, measurable outcomes, and sustained patient recovery.
The ongoing challenge will be scaling these models across diverse behavioral health conditions and ensuring that collaboration between payers, providers, and community resources remains strong. If these partnerships can maintain their focus on shared goals, data-driven insights, and clinical best practices, the future of behavioral health care can be both more effective and more accessible.
By shifting the focus from the quantity of services delivered to the quality of patient outcomes, value-based care has the potential to redefine how success is measured in mental health treatment — ultimately creating a system that delivers better results for patients, providers, and society as a whole.
