This article is written by guest contributor Dr. Brett Hart, Vice President of Behavioral Health and Mental Health Parity at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the 2024 Behavioral Health Tech Conference in Phoenix. This is the largest annual gathering in the United States dedicated to showcasing technology innovations to address behavioral health conditions and needs.

In addition to showcasing new behavioral health technology from more than 100 companies, the three-day conference featured over 80 educational sessions on topics including maternal mental health, artificial intelligence, revolutionizing crisis support, youth mental health and mental healthcare in tribal communities.

I was fortunate enough to speak on a panel dedicated to revolutionizing substance use treatment.

Reflecting on this experience, I asked myself, “What can Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota members learn from my time at the conference?” and my mind went to two key takeaways:

1. The future is promising, because the future is now

There has never been a more promising time for our members and their loved ones who experience behavioral health conditions. By 2028, private sector investment in mental health technology and innovation is expected to exceed $800 billion.

In just the past few years, behavioral healthcare has seen innovations that were unimaginable just twenty years ago, such as virtual eating disorder treatment and digital, cell phone-based therapies. These substantial investments and innovations give me hope that we can solve some of the toughest challenges in behavioral health. These include enabling access for rural and underserved communities, eliminating stigma and equipping individuals with highly personalized care on-demand, when and where it’s convenient.

The novel use of artificial intelligence to detect emotional distress through voice patterns and inflection is additionally promising as the technology continues to progress.

2. The Blue Cross approach is right on track

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s approach to behavioral health draws on the very science, data, technology and innovation represented at the Behavioral Health Tech Conference. We are guided by extensive data in the design of our behavioral health models, and we not only invest in innovative solutions that will advance behavioral health understanding, but we also offer many of the technology-based solutions featured at these events in our network.

In 2025, we will debut more technology-based capabilities in behavioral health that will directly benefit our members and, we believe, change the landscape of behavioral health in Minnesota and beyond. Members and clients can rest assured that behavioral health is one of Blue Cross’ top priorities, and we are building and investing in the most advanced capabilities to care for the behavioral health needs of all members.