Centene’s METS Program: Behavioral Healthcare Coordination

Each May, Mental Health Awareness Month highlights the challenges many people face when trying to access behavioral healthcare. It’s also a reminder that awareness alone doesn’t close gaps in care. Progress depends on practical support that helps people stay connected to care over time, which is a fundamental element of Centene’s managed care approach. Read more below about how we bring that to life for our members.  

How Early Care Coordination Improves Behavioral Health Outcomes

Coordinating care early helps people get the right behavioral health support sooner. In 2025, METS made a meaningful difference for members. Clinicians and care coordinators worked together to address more than 16,000 preventive and follow‑up care gaps, from well‑child visits to annual checkups and dental care, by proactively informing and supporting members and providers. These results reflect METS’ focus on early outreach and sustained coordination, helping prevent gaps before they disrupt care.

That momentum continued into early 2026, with clinicians and care coordinators addressing more than 5,600 additional care gaps and connecting over 2,500 new members to ongoing support. For members, this kind of engagement can feel less like navigating a system alone and more like having consistent guidance.

Gaps Persist for Members Receiving Behavioral Healthcare

For members receiving outpatient behavioral healthcare, everyday challenges can make it harder to stay engaged with care. Navigating benefits, or facing barriers to meeting immediate needs like transportation, food, or safe housing can all interrupt treatment.

In many cases, these members also have limited interaction with their health plans. Without regular touchpoints, unmet needs and missed follow-ups can be easily overlooked.

To help address this gap, Centene created the Members Empowered to Succeed (METS) program, which operates in select Ambetter and Medicaid markets to better support members with more complex needs. METS proactively reaches out to members who might otherwise lose touch with care, helping identify unmet needs, encourage follow‑up, and connect members with benefits and community resources that support overall health.

How the METS Program Supports Members and Providers

Clinicians work directly with behavioral health providers to support treatment planning and care transitions, while care coordinators engage members around practical needs, such as follow‑up appointments, medication questions, transportation, or other barriers that can disrupt care. Rather than waiting for members to ask for help or meet specific thresholds, METS is designed to reach out early and stay engaged over time.

By creating a consistent point of connection, METS improves communication and continuity for both providers and members. Providers gain clearer insight into available benefits and resources, while members receive support managing appointments, preventive care, and everyday challenges that can delay care.

Reaching More Members Through Coordinated Support

Behavioral health needs continue to grow, with national research from the Center for Health Care Strategies finding that nearly one in three adults in the United States experiences a mental health or substance use condition. Centene has expanded METS into additional Medicaid and Ambetter markets, in 2022 and in 2025 respectively. This expansion allows more new members to receive help navigating benefits, staying connected to care, and addressing social challenges that affect their health.

Mental Health Awareness Month is a reminder that improving access to behavioral healthcare takes more than awareness. It requires coordination, follow‑through, and genuine connection. Through METS, Centene works to reach members who might otherwise miss out on support by rethinking how and when care coordination happens, while helping providers deliver care more consistently and effectively.