First-of-its-kind national payor-led study finds significant improvement in medical utilization and physical health among Forge Health patients treated for substance use, mental health, and trauma
Forge Health, a leading provider of value-based mental health and substance use care, today announced results from a groundbreaking national payor-led clinical outcomes research study. The study showed that Forge patients maintained significant improvement in both medical utilization and overall health outcomes a full 12 months after treatment.
Unlike other studies led and analyzed by providers, Forge Health partnered with a leading national health insurer to perform this first-of-its-kind retrospective cohort study. Aimed at determining whether the Forge Care Model’s intensive outpatient treatment impacted medical services utilization and overall health, the study included 70 patients, with primary measurement periods of 12 months prior to the date of initial program engagement and 12 months after the date of initial program engagement.
Key outcomes from this research include the following:
- 62% reduction in emergency department utilization
- 75% reduction in medical hospital admissions
- 39% reduction in all-cause hospital admissions
- 20% increase in primary care visits
- 494% return on investment (ROI) for payor
The trauma-informed Forge Care Model utilizes multidisciplinary clinical teams, data analytics, and streamlined treatment delivery to provide individualized mental health and substance use care for both high- and low-acuity patients, while addressing social and co-morbid medical needs. These results strongly suggests that the Forge Care Model is an effective and achievable health strategy to improve quality of life and overall wellbeing, while also reducing patient and payor costs.
Among American adults today, more than 65 million are living with at least one mental health condition, and more than 25 million are living with a substance use disorder. Anywhere from 60% to 90% go untreated, however, and the costs associated with substance use and mental illness are both staggering and unsustainable. According to research, behavioral health treatment accounts for less than 2% of overall commercial health spending, but fully 40% of all health care expenditures are tied to patients with behavioral health conditions – an estimated $752 billion each year. It is estimated that integrating behavioral and medical services for patients with behavioral health conditions could save $68 billion, annually
“In my over 30 years of experience in the addiction and mental health field, I have never seen study results that demonstrate such a significant relationship between behavioral health and physical health, or that so clearly show the positive impact behavioral health treatment has on an individual’s physical health,” said John Rodolico, PhD. Dr. Rodolico, who currently serves as Chief Science Officer at Forge Health, as well as Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, continued, “This work changes the conversation about how behavioral health fits into the overall healthcare landscape. As we look toward the future, our goal is to conduct additional, similar studies to further illustrate the positive impact our unique approach has on the mental and physical health of our patients.”
“This is a pivotal time in our industry, and this data is setting a new standard for how key stakeholders in the healthcare industry should be thinking about mental health and substance use in the context of overall health,” said Eric Frieman, Co-Founder and CEO of Forge Health. “Historically, mental health and substance use care has simply attempted to treat the presenting issue, rather than addressing the underlying ’why’ behind it. By treating both, our differentiated model is transforming and redefining the industry’s traditional approach to mental health and substance use care. The results from this groundbreaking study suggest that addressing underlying mental health and substance use issues through a ‘whole person’ model is a critical key to improving an individual’s overall health.”
Forge Health intends to make the full study available for review in the coming months. For more information about this study, visit https://info.forgehealth.com/clinicaloutcomes.
About Forge Health
Forge Health is a mission-driven outpatient mental health and substance use treatment provider dedicated to delivering the highest quality, affordable, and effective “one-stop-shop” care to individuals, families, and communities in need, especially those with moderate to severe conditions. The Forge care model utilizes multidisciplinary clinical teams, data analytics, and streamlined care delivery to provide individualized, whole person care that addresses mental health and substance use issues concurrently, while also driving improved health outcomes. The Company is in-network with over 30 commercial and government health plans, and through new and expanded population health partnerships with leading health plans and health systems, Forge now manages more than 270,000 members under its value-based partnership model.
Forge’s Veteran and First Responder services (Forge VFR) has earned a distinct reputation and the trust of providing the highest quality behavioral health care to of active-duty servicemembers, Veterans, first responders, and their families. This includes making history with a first-of-its-kind partnership with the VA to enhance the access to behavioral health care to reduce suicide. Through this partnership, Forge works with the VA to provide care in underserved areas and ensures Veterans and their families get the highest-quality care.
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The results from Forge Health's groundbreaking study suggest that addressing underlying mental health and substance use issues through a ‘whole person’ model is a critical key to improving an individual’s overall health.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Paul Belle Isle
pbelleisle@forgehealth.com
