Via Health outlines services and payer gaps at Alamance Behavioral Health Center

Via Health officials told commissioners Monday the Alamance Behavioral Health Center provides a payer-blind crisis system and a full continuum of services, but that follow-up care is often constrained by commercial insurance contracts.

Donald Drews, vice president for behavioral health, said the center offers walk-in behavioral urgent care, a "pure living room" drop-in space, an on-site pharmacy that fills more than 1,000 prescriptions per month and a 16-bed inpatient crisis unit. "If somebody comes in, they're gonna get access to those services," Drews said, describing the center's payer-blind approach for crisis care.

Drews and other Via Health staff explained that after crisis stabilization, patients often need continuing outpatient services that commercial insurers will not always pay for or for which the provider is not paneled. "If RHA isn't paneled with that insurance, they cannot get paid at all for doing those services," Drews said, noting that some marketplace and commercial plans carry high deductibles or limited coverage that create gaps.

Officials outlined options used when a commercial plan does not cover ongoing care: private pay, out-of-network agreements, or referral to a different paneled provider. Drews also described efforts to increase provider paneling and to use county and Viya funds to subsidize care where needed.

Commissioners asked for follow-up on an allegation that the facility had been closed some nights; Viya said it had investigated and did not corroborate the claim and offered to meet privately with families who reported specific incidents. Drews said Via Health will continue to work with law enforcement, schools and RHA to improve transitions from crisis to continuing care.

Next steps: Via Health offered to meet with families who raised cases and to provide additional information to the board and sheriff about operations and contractual constraints.