carelon behavioral health

What carelon behavioral health does

Carelon Behavioral Health of California, Inc. is a Knox-Keene licensed managed behavioral health organization serving large employers, health plans, and individual members throughout the State of California. Originally established as American PsychManagement of California, Inc. in December 1990 and serving members since 1991, the company operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Carelon Behavioral Health, which is the largest privately held managed behavioral health organization (MBHO) in the nation following the 2014 merger of ValueOptions Inc. and Beacon Health Strategies. Its portfolio centers on behavioral health care service plan products and employee assistance programs (EAP), covering mental health, substance use disorder treatment, crisis support, assessments, and recovery-oriented education for anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, and stress.

The company's core technology stack consists of three interconnected assets: a telehealth platform supporting confidential text, audio, and video sessions with appointments typically available within 24 hours and access to providers across state lines; a member portal enabling self-service benefits management, claims tracking, authorization monitoring, and out-of-pocket spend visibility; and a provider search tool that indexes a vetted in-network directory of psychiatrists, therapists, and clinical social workers. Telehealth capacity is augmented through partnerships with ValeraHealth and Talkspace, which expand the online therapy and psychiatry supply available to members. A 200+ topic content library and 24/7 phone support line (800-228-1286) with TTY/TDD access reinforce member engagement.

The business model is B2B2C and subscription-recurring: revenue is generated through contracted arrangements with large employers and health plans who then offer behavioral health coverage to their members and employees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, as the entity operates as a managed care organization providing services through employer-sponsored insurance and health plan contracts. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales to large California employers and health plans with member-driven self-service through the portal and provider search, plus direct-to-consumer telehealth access for individuals seeking mental health care outside the employer-sponsored funnel.

Name

carelon behavioral health

Legal name

Carelon Behavioral Health of California, Inc.

Website

https://carelonbehavioralhealthca.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Carelon Behavioral Health of California is a Knox-Keene licensed managed behavioral health organization serving large employers, health plans, and individual members throughout California with mental health, substance use disorder, telehealth, and employee assistance program services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Managed Behavioral Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health Benefit Administration (MBHO Core) (HLAEAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) Management (HLAEAHAB), Behavioral & Mental Health Virtual Care (EAP/Teletherapy) (HLALADAB), Care Management & Population Health Program Administration (HLAEALAG)

Keywords

• Behavioral health services
• Managed behavioral health
• Employee assistance programs
• Mental health provider network
• Behavioral telehealth therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Behavioral Health Service Plan: Provides behavioral health care service plan products to large employers and health plans throughout California. Revenue is generated through contracted arrangements with payers (employers and health plans) who provide coverage to their members/employees.
2. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): Offers employee assistance programs to large employers, providing mental health and substance use disorder services to employees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carelon Behavioral Health of California operates as a managed behavioral health organization providing mental health and substance use disorder care through a contracted network of providers. The company delivers behavioral health care service plan products and employee assistance programs (EAP) to large employers and health plans across California, supported by a member portal, telehealth platform, provider search tool, and a 24/7 clinical referral line.

Product overview

Carelon Behavioral Health of California operates as a behavioral health managed care organization offering a unified suite of services centered on mental and emotional well-being. The core portfolio consists of a Clinical Referral Line staffed by specialized clinicians, a Telehealth platform providing therapy via text, audio, and video, and a Member Portal for managing benefits, claims, and authorizations. These services are complemented by provider network access, behavioral health assessments, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) for employer groups. The company serves large employers and health plans throughout California with behavioral health care service plan products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Referral Line (CRL) A referral service staffed by highly trained and specialized clinicians who help members find quality, in-network providers for substance use treatment or mental health care.
• Telehealth Confidential and secure therapy delivered via text messaging, audio, and video, offering faster appointments (usually within 24 hours) and access to providers outside of the member's local area.
• Member Portal Secure online portal for members to access benefits information, claims status, member information, out-of-pocket spending tracking, and support services.
• Provider Search Online directory allowing members to search and find in-network behavioral health providers by keyword and location.
• Behavioral Health Care Service Plan Products Behavioral health care service plan products offered to large employers and health plans throughout California.
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) Employee assistance programs providing mental and emotional well-being support services to large employers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Faster access to care with telehealth appointments typically available within 24 hours
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ValeraHealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationValeraHealth is featured as a telehealth partner on the Carelon Behavioral Health platform. They provide therapy and psychiatry services for children, adolescents, teens, and adults 18 and older, using a collaborative team approach focused on whole-person wellness.
• TalkspacecoreTechnology or IntegrationTalkspace is featured as a telehealth partner offering comprehensive online mental health treatment through messaging, phone calls, or video sessions. They provide specialized therapy for children aged 13-17, mental health treatment for adults 18+, and relationship-centered couples therapy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Optum Behavioral Health: Optum provides employer- and health-plan-facing behavioral health benefits, EAP, care management, provider networks, and virtual care. Its B2B2C managed-care model closely overlaps Carelon's core offering.
• ComPsych: ComPsych focuses on EAP, behavioral health, work-life, and crisis support for employers. It competes directly for the same employer-sponsored behavioral-health budgets and member-engagement workflows.
• Beacon Health Options: Beacon has operated as a national managed behavioral health organization serving health plans and employers with behavioral networks, care management, and EAP services. Its historical combination with ValueOptions is particularly comparable to the lineage described for Carelon.
• Magellan Health: Magellan provides managed behavioral health, EAP, and care-management services to health plans, employers, and government programs. Its network and utilization-management model is directly comparable to Carelon's.

Broad incumbents

• Evernorth: Evernorth is Cigna's health-services business and offers behavioral health and EAP-related solutions, care navigation, and virtual care through payer and employer channels. It is a broader incumbent, but its services and distribution model materially overlap.
• Aetna: Aetna offers health plans with behavioral health and EAP capabilities for employer and individual members. It serves as a broad incumbent with overlapping benefits administration and provider-network needs.

Emerging players

• Lyra Health: Lyra sells employer-sponsored mental health benefits, EAP-like programs, therapy, coaching, and digital care. It competes for the same employer buyers and member-engagement outcomes, though it is more digital-first.
• Spring Health: Spring Health provides employer mental health benefits, EAP, therapy, coaching, and navigation. Its employer-contracted, digitally enabled care model is closely comparable to Carelon's employer distribution motion.
• Modern Health: Modern Health offers employer-sponsored mental health and wellbeing benefits, including coaching, therapy, and navigation. It overlaps with Carelon's behavioral-health and EAP use cases while operating with a more digitally oriented model.
• Talkspace: Talkspace delivers therapy and psychiatry through messaging, phone, and video and sells into employer and health-plan channels. Carelon identifies it as a telehealth partner, making Talkspace both an ecosystem participant and a partial direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about carelon behavioral health