Lucet Acquires Value-Based Medical Group Emcara Health

What You Should Know: 

– Lucet, a behavioral health company providing tech-enabled services to health plans, employers, and providers, today announced its acquisition of Emcara Health (previously PopHealthCare, a GuideWell Company). Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. 

– Emcara Health is a national, value-based medical group focused on delivering home-based care to clinically complex and high-risk populations. This strategic acquisition is set to address the growing need for integrated care models that effectively manage co-morbid chronic physical conditions alongside behavioral health needs.

A Strategic Move to Bridge Gaps in Comprehensive Member Health

Lucet’s acquisition of Emcara Health is a key part of its long-term strategy to continuously evolve and identify service gaps in addressing the comprehensive health needs of its members. “Lucet’s long-term strategy is to continuously evolve, identifying product and service gaps to address our members’ health needs. With the acquisition of Emcara Health, we will be able to offer even more comprehensive ways to deliver care, assess behavioral health needs and quickly connect individuals to the high-quality healthcare resources they require,” said Shana Hoffman, President and CEO of Lucet. “With Emcara’s well-established operations in markets where Lucet also has overlapping member populations, we are empowered to provide dual services for our members’ co-morbid chronic medical and behavioral health conditions in the future”.

Addressing the High Co-occurrence of Chronic and Behavioral Health Conditions

The need for such integrated models is underscored by data from the World Health Organization (WHO), which indicates that patients with chronic medical conditions are two to three times more likely to suffer from behavioral health conditions, yet only about one-third of those diagnosed receive treatment. Lucet, known for its end-to-end solution connecting members to behavioral healthcare and facilitating patient-provider matching across the acuity spectrum, has historically focused on improving access through quality, speed, and measured outcomes, connecting members to care in less than five days on average.

Pilot Programs and Future Vision for Integrated Services

With the acquisition of Emcara, the combined entities will begin piloting integrated care models in active markets. They will also explore future opportunities to scale these clinical operations to improve the lives of even more members. This blueprint includes assessing behavioral health conditions and connecting patients to appropriate care through a multidisciplinary care team during both in-home and virtual visits.