Direct purchasing is a relationship where employers have direct contracts with healthcare providers for services for their employees outside of, or in addition to, their regular health plan coverage.

In these relationships, employers are able to save money by paying cash directly to the providers, which also typically translates into better transactional care. One of the most common is a Direct Primary Care (DPC) relationship, where employees can go to the doctor’s office as often as needed for a low monthly rate. Other direct purchasing or direct contracting relationships may include imaging, labs, specialty care, and surgeries.

Advanced Recovery Resources helps create these relationships with behavioral health providers for mental health and addiction treatment services. These can range from peer support and individual therapy sessions to outpatient treatment, detoxification, residential rehabilitation, and up to hospital inpatient care. Bundled rates or blended daily rates per level of care can produce discounts on services and extend care to appropriate levels, resulting in better outcomes.

This is unique since many direct contracting platforms only have certain specialties and often don’t understand the nuances of behavioral health treatment. Since we’ve owned and operated treatment programs before, we have a higher rate of success at negotiating these relationships.

If you’re an employer seeking behavioral health services as part of your direct purchasing benefits arrangement, contact us to see how we can help support you and your employees.