No one will argue that the health insurance system in the United States is complicated. It’s confusing even to people who work in it every day, let alone for those who just have health insurance and depend on it from time to time. We’ve spent time in the past explaining what it means to be in-network and out-of-network with health insurance providers. When it comes to mental health, another problem that exists is that too many people are not fully aware of their coverage benefits for this type of challenge.
SoCal Empowered has been working for years to simplify this process for people who need mental health help as much as possible. The solution on our end is to work towards becoming in-network mental health providers for large insurance companies. Being in-network simply makes things much easier for people who need help, as coverage benefits are more clearly defined and fewer questions exist before someone commits to staying with us.
Therefore, we are proud to announce that SoCal Empowered is now an in-network mental health provider for the First Health Group Corporation and its affiliates. These affiliates include the First Health Network, the Cofinity Network and First Choice of the Midwest Network. First Health now joins our growing roster of in-network partners. We will describe each of these organizations below after an overview of the First Health Group Corporation and what it does for people who need help.
First Health Group Corporation: A Brief Overview
The First Health Group Corporation is what is known as a TPA, or Third-Party Administrator. What that means is that First Health Group Corporation manages and administers policies held by policyholders for health insurance companies. Basically, a TPA is the operational arm of insurance companies. Examples of tasks a TPA handles includes:
- Enrolling new customers
- Processing insurance claims
- Collecting premium payments
- Coordinating with health organizations and hospitals
- Providing policyholder support and answers to questions
The First Health Group Corporation, according to its own website, “provides national and regional Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) network access and other cost containment programs to help our clients manage employee benefit plans.” The company has been operating for more than 30 years, and it offers both national and regional networks, which you’ll see described below.
First Health Network
The First Health Network, on the primary level, is a directly contracted and national PPO network. This network includes more than 5,700 hospitals, 52,000 other medical facilities and nearly 1 million professional providers. First Health Network can help people who need it both in their primary service area and outside of it in many situations.
Cofinity Network
Cofinity focuses exclusively on the state of Michigan. It offers directly negotiated rates for care and has its own sizable network. The Cofinity Network offers more than 500 hospitals, 10,000 other medical facilities and 63,000 professional providers across the state.
First Choice of the Midwest Network
Finally, the First Health Group Corporation offers a regional PPO network known as First Choice of the Midwest. It includes more than 180 hospitals in the Midwest and 24,000 providers in the following states:
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Wyoming
What This Means for Those Struggling with Mental Health
This development is positive news for people across the Midwest and other parts of the United States. It means that if your insurance card has one of the three logos above on it, then you should contact SoCal Empowered to find out how we can help you if you or a loved one is struggling with mental health. It means that as an in-network provider, costs are set and negotiated, claims are processed more efficiently and much of the guesswork is all but eliminated.
If you have questions regarding your situation, you should contact our team of mental health professionals as soon as possible. We can help you decide how you should proceed and help determine your coverage before you commit to anything else.
Now is the time to get moving on dealing with serious mental health struggles if they are affecting you and your family. Contact us today.
