Why Mental Wellness Apps and Pharmacy Benefit Management Companies Make Revolutionary Partners

The Silent Crisis: Where Medication Management Meets Mental Wellness

In a world where 77% of U.S. workers report experiencing at least one symptom of a mental health condition and 84% cite workplace conditions as contributing factors (Mental Health America, 2024), organizations are scrambling to provide effective solutions. Gen Z and Millennials currently report the poorest overall mental health scores among all generations, signaling an urgent need for innovation in how we approach mental wellness.

The traditional approach of siloing medication management from mental wellness support creates dangerous gaps in care. As the founder of Brightn, I've witnessed these gaps firsthand.

When Systems Fail People: A Personal Perspective

My journey to creating Brightn wasn't merely business-driven—it was born from profound personal loss. My oldest son's journey began with an innocent Adderall prescription for ADHD in fifth grade. What followed were seven years of constant struggles that stemmed from an addiction to a medication we later learned was essentially watered-down methamphetamine.

Years later, I lost my wife Prudence to alcoholism. At her bedside were ten different prescription bottles—evidence of doctor shopping and a healthcare system that failed to see the complete picture of her mental health needs.

These experiences taught me a critical lesson: As a society, we need to revolutionize how we diagnose, prescribe, and manage mental health treatment. This isn't about vilifying the pharmaceutical industry—it's about recognizing that medication management must be integrated with holistic mental wellness support.

Trailblazing a New Path Forward

The partnership between Brightn and MedOne represents the first-of-its-kind integration between a comprehensive mental wellness platform and a Pharmacy Benefit Management company in the United States. Unlike narrow meditation or breathwork apps, Brightn addresses the three pillars of optimal mental wellness—health, wealth, and purpose—through AI-driven personalization and interactive support.

What sets this partnership apart:

1. Comprehensive Care Integration: While traditional apps focus narrowly on meditation or breathwork, our partnership creates a seamless experience addressing both pharmaceutical management and mental wellness planning.
2. Affordability Revolution: Brightn's revolutionary pricing model offers substantial savings compared to the industry standard of $5-6 PMPM, making mental wellness support accessible to a wider audience.
3. Data-Driven Insights: By integrating mood tracking and medication adherence data, we provide unprecedented visibility into treatment effectiveness, allowing for more informed healthcare decisions.
4. Financial Wellness Integration: Brightn uniquely incorporates financial literacy—addressing a critical component of mental wellness often ignored by other solutions but particularly relevant as 77% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

The Behavioral Care Path: A Two-Pronged Approach

MedOne's innovative Behavioral Care Path program demonstrates how this partnership delivers value:

First Prong: Optimization of Medication Management MedOne analyzes historical claims data to identify drug-therapy problems, including interactions, duplications, and non-compliance issues. With mental health medications typically taking 8-12 weeks to demonstrate effectiveness and patients often trying 3-4 medications before finding the right fit, this approach ensures patients receive the right treatments faster.

Second Prong: Proactive Mental Wellness Support This is where Brightn enters, providing users with personalized AI-driven support, consistent mood tracking, journaling capabilities, and community connection—all accessible through a single platform.

Core Values Driving Our Partnership

This collaboration exemplifies how shared values create meaningful impact:

• Disciplined Commitment: Both organizations maintain unwavering dedication to improving mental health outcomes through consistent, evidence-based approaches.
• Envisioning Future Impact: We're pioneering a model that treats mental wellness not as a luxury but as an essential component of healthcare infrastructure.
• Courage and Integrity: By challenging the traditional separation between mental wellness support and pharmaceutical treatment, we're confronting healthcare's status quo.
• Empathy and Genuine Care: Our partnership was formed from a deep understanding of human suffering and a commitment to compassionate support.
• Learning and Evolution: We recognize that mental health isn't linear—our approach acknowledges the natural ups and downs of wellness and provides tools to navigate them.

Early Results Demonstrating Impact

The early results speak for themselves: 60% of Brightn users report significant improvements in their wellness outcomes after just 30 days of consistent engagement. MedOne's own employees are among the first participants in this pilot program, experiencing firsthand the benefits of integrated care.

Why Other PBMs Should Consider Similar Partnerships

"We are the first mental wellness company to establish this kind of partnership with a PBM in the United States. We're not talking about breath work or meditation apps—we're pioneering a fully holistic, AI-interactive approach to optimal mental wellness."

For Pharmacy Benefit Managers looking to innovate and deliver greater value:

1. Enhanced Value Proposition: Adding mental wellness support differentiates your offering in an increasingly competitive market.
2. Improved Health Outcomes: Studies show that integrated mental health and medication management approaches lead to better adherence and overall health outcomes.
3. Data-Driven Decision Making: The insights generated from this partnership enable more informed formulary decisions and program design.
4. Cost Containment: Better mental health support correlates with reduced overall healthcare costs, decreased absenteeism, and improved productivity.
5. Market Leadership: Early adopters of this integrated approach position themselves as innovators in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Transforming Healthcare Through Integration

This partnership represents more than just a business arrangement—it's a fundamental reimagining of how we approach mental healthcare. By addressing both mental wellness and medication management simultaneously, we're tackling one of healthcare's most persistent challenges: the artificial separation between emotional support and pharmaceutical treatment.

The question is no longer whether mental wellness apps and PBMs should partner, but rather how quickly we can scale this integrated approach to address the growing mental health crisis facing our workplaces and communities.

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About MedOne Pharmacy Benefit Solutions

MedOne helps organizations and their health plan members conveniently access the most appropriate prescription at the most affordable price through its aligned and performance-based pharmacy benefit solution. MedOne’s offering focuses on enhancing the member’s pharmacy benefit experience, improving clinical outcomes, and reducing net cost for plan sponsors and their members. MedOne operates in all 50 states, and its customer base includes organizations of all sizes and across a variety of industries. MedOne is honored to be included in the 2024 Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America. For more information, visit www.medone-rx.com.

About Brightn

Founded in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Brightn is transforming mental wellness support through AI-powered technology and personalized planning. The platform focuses on making mental wellness as routine as brushing your teeth, helping users achieve balance in health, wealth, and purpose. Early results show that members who engage with the platform for more than 30 days experience a 60% increase in positive outcomes through the platform’s comprehensive tracking metrics. Download the Brightn app today by visiting www.brightn.app

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Ready to take charge of your mental wellness? Try Brightn free today.

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