Health insurance provider CZ and mental health care provider Mentaal Beter signed a declaration of intent for a long-term, lasting coalition. The goal is to offer meaningful care and to limit the increase in costs, where care is provided digitally, wherever possible, supplemented with the necessary face-to-face consultations.
Marieke Verlee, mental health care manager at CZ: “In the mental health care sector, contracting happened more traditionally in the past years. It often involves turnover thresholds, rates and how many CZ-insured customers can be assisted. We’d rather start a lasting coalition where we can discuss, together, which direction we’re heading. We know Mentaal Beter well and hope to start a movement together that can trickle through to other mental health care providers.”
Martin de Heer, CEO of Mentaal Beter, an NPM Capital portfolio company: “Together with CZ, we go one step further: we choose the improvement projects together and transparently offer the related data. We do it at an aggregate data level, in line with the privacy legislation. Together, we decide on the best way to manage care at this time. That way, we help get rid of the waiting lists for mental health care.”
Digital first
CZ and Mentaal Beter will focus on a detailed care assessment, monitoring the progress and timely conclusion of treatments. The striking thing about the collaboration is the focus on digital care. Mentaal Beter’s care will become ‘digital first’. In other words: online as much as possible, and, where necessary, supplemented with face-to-face care. Despite that, for Verlee, ‘not everything needs to be digital’. “Digital is not a goal in and of itself. Even so, we believe that working digitally can help in terms of accessibility. With focus-oriented treatments, for instance, we notice that fewer minutes are needed digitally, while you can also have contact with a client more easily, when required, instead of once a week. Also, we can utilise the available capacity in Limburg in such a way, in a region that’s already experiencing a shortage.” CZ and Mentaal Beter have not yet agreed on an aspired ratio between digital and face-to-face.
Also read ‘Technology: powerful driver in the treatment of mental health issues’
Also read ‘Mentaal Beter expands e-health options for mental health care clients’
Photo: Martin de Heer (Mentaal Beter, left) and Marieke Verlee (CZ) shake hands digitally