Moda Health Chooses Meru Health Comprehensive Online Mental Health Program to Help Members Treat Depression, Anxiety and Stress

Moda Health Clients Can Now Offer New Mental Healthcare Benefit to Employees, Giving Them Immediate Online Access to Treatment Solutions During Pandemic


SAN FRANCISCO, March 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meru Health, which provides the most comprehensive online mental health solution for depression, burnout, and anxiety, announced today that Moda Health, an Oregon-based health insurance company dedicated to building healthier communities, now is offering the Meru Health treatment program to its partners to help them meet the mental health needs of their employees.

Founded in 1955, Moda has 330,000 members in its medical plans and more than 1 million members in its stand-alone pharmacy segment. The company chose Meru to complement the suite of services it offers for outpatient and inpatient mental healthcare.

“We really liked the fact that Meru combined an innovative service delivery model with proven treatment approaches,” said Dan Thoma, Senior Manager of Behavioral Health at Moda. “Meru’s peer-reviewed research showed the effectiveness of the program, and because they track every patient’s progress in real-time, they can adjust their approach if a patient isn’t making progress. Especially since the pandemic, Meru’s ability to provide remote services to our members safely and comfortably in their own homes became a very important benefit for our partners.”

Mental health challenges impact more than 500 million people globally. A growing provider access problem endures. And the long-term outcomes of mental health care continue to disappoint. On average, only 26% of people respond to care within the first year. Furthermore, 50% of people who had their first episode will relapse into another episode within 2 years from the first episode.

Kristian Ranta, CEO and Founder of Meru Health, said, “Moda Health recognizes that part of building healthier communities means prioritizing mental health. With Meru, Moda’s partners get insight into the mental health baseline of their communities and aggregated reports on the treatment outcomes to keep them informed on how their communities’ wellbeing is improving. During this difficult time, it is critical for employees to have multiple ways to take care of their mental health, and we’re proud to offer a proven online option that gives Moda members immediate access to effective treatment.”

The Meru program length is optimized to 12 weeks during which the participant goes through a curriculum that helps them decrease their symptoms of depression and anxiety effectively. Stanford, Harvard, and UC Davis validated research shows that Meru Health's solution is two to three times more effective than the standard of care in the U.S. today.

About Meru Health 
Meru Health is setting a new standard in mental healthcare with the most comprehensive online solution that combines licensed therapists and psychiatrists, a smartphone-based treatment program, a biofeedback wearable, and anonymous peer-support groups. The company is committed to evidence-based care and has published groundbreaking clinical outcomes with Stanford, Harvard, and UC Davis that demonstrate 2-3X better clinical effectiveness and longer lasting results versus the standard of care in the U.S. today. Meru partners with major health insurance providers like Cigna, Humana and Moda Health, as well as leading businesses who want to provide best-in-class mental health care for their employees or members.  For more information, visit www.meruhealth.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

About Moda
Founded in 1955, Oregon-based Moda is a company committed to building healthier communities. Moda has 330,000 members in its medical plans and more than 1 million members in its stand-alone pharmacy segment. The Moda family of enterprises includes Moda Health, Moda Assurance Company, ODS Community Dental, Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization, Summit Health, OHSU Health IDS, Ardon Health, BenefitHelp Solutions, Astra Practice Partners, Dental Commerce Corporation, Healthy Grid, Arrow Dental and Emerging Health. Affiliated companies include Delta Dental of Oregon and Delta Dental of Alaska with more than 1 million dental members.

Media contact:
Kerry Metzdorf
Big Swing Communications
978-463-2575
kerry@big-swing.com