Expanding access to quality addiction care

Center City, Minn. (Feb. 16, 2023) – The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation—the nation's leading nonprofit system of addiction treatment, mental healthcare, recovery resources and related prevention and education services—is excited to announce a new collaboration with Contigo Health, LLC, a subsidiary of Premier, Inc.

Contigo Health is a health benefits platform that leads direct-to-employer and direct-to-provider relationships that drive more affordable and appropriate care. It works with employers and providers to offer health plan members access to comprehensive and convenient care.

By bringing Hazelden Betty Ford into its new center of excellence for substance use disorder (SUD) care—along with telehealth pioneer Lionrock Recovery—Contigo Health can connect the employers and people it serves to the best and most convenient personalized online and in-person care options available nationally.

"For too long, substance use disorder treatment has been cast as a nice-to-have health plan benefit, and managing substance use disorder has been excluded from the true definition of health. The employers and providers we work with vehemently disagree—and so do we. We're thrilled to introduce a better approach to substance use disorder treatment: one that does not judge or penalize people for their addiction," said Steven Nelson, president of Contigo Health. "The new Contigo Health approach works with people to address their substance use disorder on their terms and give them the tools to help support lifelong management of this chronic condition. We do this through a confidential, pragmatic, flexible and thoughtful model. We carefully vet our new SUD collaborators as we do all our center of excellence providers. Contigo Health is excited to work with Hazelden Betty Ford and Lionrock Recovery in delivering the next generation of SUD care."

People employed by companies that enlist Contigo Health to manage their benefit-covered addiction care will have access to same-day assessments. For many, telehealth outpatient care will be appropriate, allowing them access to one-on-one sessions with a licensed psychotherapist and group sessions from home without the disruption of leaving their family or job. For others with more complex needs—for example, those with co-occurring mental health concerns, detox to manage withdrawal, medication management and/or a more severe SUDs—a full range of in-person and online options and levels of care will be available.

"Together, we can meet people and their families where they are; connect them to hope, health and dignified healing; and improve our workplaces and communities," added Bob Poznanovich, vice president of business development at Hazelden Betty Ford. "Our vision at Hazelden Betty Ford is to empower recovery and wellbeing for all; collaborating with organizations like Contigo Health to advance quality care and reach more people will help us meet that challenge."

About Contigo Health, LLC

Contigo Health, LLC, a subsidiary of Premier, Inc., is a health benefits platform that leads direct-to-employer and direct-to-provider relationships that drive more affordable and appropriate care. Contigo Health is relentlessly focused on revolutionizing healthcare through cost-effective, transparent, comprehensive access and thoughtful benefits design. At its core, Contigo Health^® ConfigureNet™, with over 900,000 network providers across 4.1 million U.S. locations, and claims repricing technology, helps improve access to care, and provides health plan payors, and their health plan members, medical claims savings through pre-negotiated discounts with network providers. ConfigureNet^® is differentiated by Contigo Health's high performing benefits optimization products including Sync Health Plan Administration and Payvider, and ECEN Passport – Centers of Excellence.