SimplePractice Enterprise Launches API to Expand Access to Covered Behavioral Health Care

The seamless technology enables EAP and Health Plan members to instantly request appointments with behavioral health practitioners

SimplePractice, an EngageSmart solution and industry-leading platform simplifying the health and wellness experience for more than 140,000 solo and small-group providers, announced the launch of SimplePractice Enterprise to serve Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) today. Early SimplePractice Enterprise clients include small, medium, and large EAPs whose combined enrolled members total more than 130 million individuals.

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With SimplePractice Enterprise, healthcare organizations can streamline their members’ access to behavioral healthcare. SimplePractice’s MCO and EAP partners have found that a meaningful percentage of their provider networks include behavioral health providers who use SimplePractice’s software. Through a simple API integration that connects to overlapping providers’ SimplePractice accounts, schedulers (either members themselves or care coordinators) can instantly view overlapping providers’ availability and request an appointment. This, in turn, creates an easier, more streamlined referral process for providers and is designed to increase both provider and patient satisfaction.

A study from The Hartford shows that from 2020 to 2021, 70% of employers saw an increase in EAP usage due to increased stress and burnout. Meanwhile, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reports three-quarters of Americans (75%) say they are not content with the state of mental health treatment in the United States. Many therapy seekers struggle to find the best provider for them, get in contact with the provider, and successfully book an appointment.

SimplePractice Enterprise simplifies this process by enabling easy scheduling with SimplePractice providers who are already within an existing EAP or MCO network.

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SimplePractice Enterprise offers a number of features that simplify the experience for members, providers, and healthcare clients:

• Schedulers (members or care coordinators) can filter in-network SimplePractice behavioral health providers by location, specialty, and more.

• Schedulers can see profile information and real-time availability for providers, and request an appointment on the spot.

• Providers automatically receive online appointment requests directly within their SimplePractice accounts, and can confirm or deny instantly.

• Healthcare clients have access to valuable insights such as the average time to secure an appointment with a provider, as well as a provider’s appointment request rate, acceptance/decline rate, and patient/clinician cancellation rate.

• The SimplePractice team meets regularly with healthcare clients to learn what’s working well, and what can be improved to further increase access.

“With the significant increase in the need for behavioral health counseling over the past two years, improving access to behavioral health providers is more important now than ever,” said Kristin Matthews, chief clinical officer for KGA, a SimplePractice Enterprise client. “It’s critical that we make the behavioral health provider referral process as efficient as possible. With SimplePractice Enterprise, we’re able to easily access the calendars of our provider panel who are also SimplePractice customers and request appointments immediately.”

“SimplePractice was founded on the principle of ‘helping those dedicated to helping others.’ We’ve always taken pride in enabling our providers to manage and grow their practices, so that they can better support their clients,” said SimplePractice President Jonathan Seltzer. “SimplePractice Enterprise creates a win on all sides—simplifying access to mental healthcare in a way that immediately benefits healthcare organizations, members seeking help, and the behavioral health practitioners who are providing vital care.”

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