Humboldt Health captive unveils no-cost virtual care
Blackwell Captive Solutions (BCS) has announced that effective immediately Humboldt Health, its Missouri-domiciled group medical stop-loss captive built for cannabis employers, will include virtual urgent care and virtual behavioural health for members at no additional cost.
Supported by stop-loss carrier Berkley Accident and Health, Humboldt Health provides licensed cannabis and cannabis-adjacent operators (with 25 or more enrolled employees) a self-funded alternative with visibility and cost control that traditional carriers rarely offer cannabis businesses.
Cannabis remains an emerging, heavily regulated industry, and many employers in the space are newer to offering structured health benefits than employers in more established sectors. As a result, behavioural health needs and everyday medical concerns among the cannabis workforce more often go unaddressed than in other industries.
Humboldt Health meets this demand, said BCS. Virtual Behavioural Health provides therapy and counselling at no cost for employees and their family members aged 14 and up, with most visits available within 48 hours. Their Virtual Urgent Care solution provides 24/7 access to board-certified physicians for the whole family. When a member chooses a virtual visit instead of the ER, urgent care, or a doctor’s office, the claim never reaches the employer’s self-funded retention layer.
“Traditional funding models focus on who pays for risk, not what causes it. But Humboldt Health empowers cannabis employers to manage the cost drivers behind their health plans,” said Scott Byrne, president of BCS. “Cannabis employers have been underserved for years, and when they do get coverage, they rarely get the tools to manage what’s driving their costs. Embedding virtual care into Humboldt Health gives members an easier way to get care and gives employers a real lever on the claims that would otherwise hit their plan.” Employers can add other optional programs, including virtual primary care and on-demand counselling, as their groups grow.
“Cannabis employees deserve the same easy access to care as any other workforce,” added Byrne. “Humboldt Health’s model is a natural fit for virtual care. It meets members where they are, on their phones and on their schedule, and helps employers keep routine and behavioural care out of higher-cost settings.”
Virtual care joins B.Well Blueprint, the risk-management program included in Humboldt Health’s captive-management fees. B.Well Blueprint brings claims and population-health visibility, benefits navigation, targeted support for high-cost renal and oncology risks, and pharmacy strategy into the program, giving cannabis employers an ongoing, data-driven view of what drives plan cost.
Cannabis employers and their benefits brokers can learn more or request information at blackwellcaptive.com/humboldt-health.
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