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Effective organizations remain nimble enough to adjust to the changes they see in the markets they serve. The history of Advekit, a sister organization to Sigmund Software, demonstrates this commitment to customer need.
Advekit co-founder and COO Arielle Garellek explained that the company started seven years ago as a vehicle for connecting patients with the right therapist. Garellek had a background in education and a passion for mental health, and was well aware that the nuances of the therapeutic relationship often complicate the process of identifying an ideal match. But as important as factors such as therapist location and coaching style can be, Garellek and her colleagues came to an early realization about the primary barrier to a successful pairing.
“We found out quickly that the insurance factor was the biggest sticking point,” Garellek recalled. Challenges in navigating the insurance maze, for both providers and clients, were disrupting the therapist-patient relationship — or preventing that relationship from forming altogether. “We decided to fill the gap.” Garellek said.
Advekit offers a complete billing and collections service platform that simplifies out-of-network benefits for both the client and the therapist. The company handles all out-of-network filing, allowing patients to understand their benefits in real time which allows the therapist to focus on patient care alone.
Garellek said the service platform supports therapists in individual or group practices as well as larger, more diverse behavioral health care organizations.
“Therapists are converting prospects more quickly,” she said. The participating therapist pays a percentage fee based on volume, and Advekit takes care of all claims-related activity, including any necessary appeals to insurers.
Advekit reports that because of the predictability that its platform brings to payment, treatment providers who use the service are able to see a 70% improvement in client retention. “Cost should never be a factor in why a patient leaves,” Garellek said.
As the company moved forward and looked to the future, Garellek recalled, the realization became that “for us to be really successful, we wanted to leverage more technology to extend the tools that we can provide our customers and their clients.”
As two organizations designed with a therapist’s eye, Advekit and Sigmund Software have become kindred spirits in the effort to leverage technology to improve behavioral health care. We are both devoted to simplifying the provider experience, for the ultimate betterment of the patient. “Our therapists don’t want to have to have 10 tabs open on their computer to manage their practice,” Garellek said.
