Brave Health

Brave Health operates as a virtual-first behavioral health provider with a primary focus on serving Medicaid populations across the United States. The company was founded in 2017 by Anna Lindow, the current CEO, and Jake Schwartz, who serves as Chairman. Lindow's personal experience seeking mental wellness services as a teenager, coupled with her professional background at the education technology firm General Assembly, informed the company's mission to improve access to care. Schwartz, the co-founder and former CEO of General Assembly, brought his experience in scaling technology-driven platforms to the venture.

The business model centers on establishing partnerships with health plans and community providers to create a referral network that directs patients to its services. Brave Health generates revenue through reimbursement from the more than 200 health insurance plans it is in-network with, including Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers. The company is also transitioning towards value-based care arrangements, where it is compensated based on patient outcomes rather than services rendered. Its first such contract was with Molina Healthcare of Texas.

Brave Health's platform delivers a comprehensive suite of telehealth-enabled mental health services. These include individual therapy, psychiatry and medication management, marriage and family counseling, and clinician-led group therapy. The company also offers specialized programs such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), support for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Initially focused on medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, the company expanded its offerings in response to broader patient needs for services addressing conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. A key feature is reducing wait times, offering same-day assessments and appointments within a week, a significant reduction from the industry average. The company employs its providers—therapists, psychiatrists, peer support specialists, and nurse practitioners—directly rather than using contractors, aiming to ensure consistent quality of care.

Keywords: behavioral health, telehealth, Medicaid, mental health services, virtual care, value-based care, psychiatry, medication management, addiction treatment, health plan partnerships, patient engagement, teletherapy, managed care, mental wellness, virtual clinic, health equity, substance use disorder, outpatient services, care coordination, digital health