SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE —  As part of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine’s (Anthem) ongoing work to increase access to mental healthcare and expand treatment capacity in the state, Anthem recently welcomed InStride Health, a pediatric anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment provider, to its provider network. Anthem is the first insurance carrier in Maine to offer its members in-network access to InStride Health.

 

InStride Health treats all severity levels for anxiety and OCD for children and young adults ages 7 to 22, with a focus on those with moderate to severe conditions where anxiety and/or OCD are interfering with functioning and causing additional problems (e.g., social isolation, school avoidance, physical symptoms, or depression). InStride Health offers evidence-based treatment through individual and family therapy, patient groups, medication management (if needed), and coaching and care coordination delivered by a highly experienced care team of psychiatrists, therapists, and exposure coaches. Care is delivered virtually and typically begins within one to four weeks of application acceptance.

 

“We know there is a critical need for more mental health treatment options for children and young adults in Maine, and that’s why we are so pleased to welcome InStride Health to the state and to our provider network,” said Denise McDonough, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine. “InStride Health’s virtual model offers Maine families, especially those in rural areas, a convenient and accessible option for care for pediatric anxiety and OCD. I’m thrilled we can expand the variety of treatment options available to Anthem members throughout Maine.”

 

“Finding the right mental health treatment that is also covered by insurance can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. We’re on a mission to change that. It’s incredible to see how much lives change with the right treatment, and we want to make sure that every child, teen, and young adult with anxiety and/or OCD has access to treatment that works, through their insurance. We are grateful to expand our care into Maine and look forward to serving Anthem Maine members,” says Dr. Mona Potter, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of InStride Health.

 

Preliminary results demonstrate that 90 percent of InStride Health program graduates with initial elevated anxiety symptoms at baseline experienced a reduction in anxiety following two months of treatment, with an average symptom reduction of 46 percent. Additionally, after three months of enrollment, 82 percent of patients reported reduced functional impairment and symptom severity.

 

For more information about InStride Health, visit instride.health.

 

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Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans of Maine, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

InStride Health provides specialty outpatient care for pediatric Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related presentations. Co-founded by Harvard-trained clinicians from McLean Hospital, the InStride Health care model is grounded in evidence-based treatments: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with an emphasis on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). A dedicated team of a psychiatrist, therapist, and an exposure coach are paired with each child to provide real-time support using everyday tools like text and a video- and chat-enabled mobile application. InStride Health accepts most major insurance plans in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.