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Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has signed a national agreement to bring developmental therapy to autistic children and their families.
The collaboration with Positive Development will initially serve autistic children of members in Virginia who are enrolled in Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s employer-based and individual health plans.
Positive Development said it is also partnering with Anthem to approach the Virginia state Medicaid agency to secure coverage for those members in the near future.
Positive Development, formed in 2020, offers a developmental therapy approach called Developmental Relationship-Based Interventions (DRBI) to increase clinical capacity, deliver positive health outcomes and reduce overall costs.
Its programs promote the power of in-home, personalized play for children. The care plan is overseen by experts and speech language, occupational and mental health therapists as necessary.
Anthem and Positive Development have a value-based arrangement that rewards performance through outcomes measurement and evaluation. This reduces costs and increases value for members, Positive Development said.
“Families deserve options for autism care. This partnership means Anthem members in Virginia gain access to what we think is the best solution available,” said Mike Suiters, cofounder and CEO of Positive Development. “We look forward to expanding our relationship with Anthem and the members they serve across the country where our focus remains on delivering quality outcomes at a lower total cost and intensity.”
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org