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Leaders in technology, policy, and healthcare gathered in Chicago at the Alignment for Progress event, hosted by The Kennedy Forum, to explore how innovation can advance a more equitable mental health future.
Co-founder Jeff Witten of Sheer Health attended to share how our AI-powered health navigation platform is helping to make mental health care not just more accessible, but easier to understand and use—especially for patients and providers who often face unnecessary delays before treatment can begin.
"Behavioral health is a critical area of need in our country. Many people have benefits they don’t even realize they’re entitled to, or they face incorrect benefit determinations because of complex insurance rules. At Sheer Health, we’re using AI in ways that truly support patients—simplifying stressful topics like reimbursement and financial estimates, especially at moments when clarity matters most. By removing these barriers, we help ensure that those who need behavioral healthcare can actually access it—while also delivering meaningful cost savings for health plans and employers."
A consistent insight emerged throughout the discussions at the event:
For many people, the biggest obstacles to getting care come from the insurance side—from unclear benefits to slow approvals.
Before a patient ever sees a clinician, they may face uncertainty around coverage, long waits for prior authorizations, or confusing out-of-network reimbursement processes. These can disrupt care at moments when support is needed most.
This is exactly where Sheer Health helps bridge the gap.
We help your patients—our members—understand their benefits in advance of care, secure necessary authorizations quickly, and maximize reimbursements, ensuring they can begin treatment with clarity and confidence.
Through our app, patients can easily access their benefits, track reimbursement progress, and get transparent information that eliminates financial surprises.
For clinicians, delays, denials, and administrative back-and-forth can drain limited time and resources. Sheer Health removes that burden.
Our Provider Portal handles administrative insurance needs while our Direct-to-Consumer App empowers patients to manage their own benefits. The two work seamlessly together, reducing overhead and maximizing reimbursements for mental health practices.
Before each patient visit, we deliver CPT-code-specific breakdowns of coverage — including deductibles, in-network and out-of-network benefits, and current benefit status.
Whether it’s therapy sessions, psychiatric evaluations, or intensive treatment programs, providers get complete transparency from the very first session, enabling better care planning and building patient trust.
Many premier mental health facilities choose to operate out-of-network to maintain clinical autonomy. We support them by managing the entire claims process — from initial submission through appeals.
Patients pay providers at time of service, and we ensure they receive maximum reimbursement, leveraging our expertise in mental health billing codes and payer requirements.
The Alignment for Progress event underscored a powerful truth: when patients and providers have clearer guidance in navigating insurance, the entire care journey becomes simpler and more human.
Sheer Health is proud to help change this narrative—making the process easier for everyone so providers and patients can focus on what truly matters: getting better.
We’re grateful to The Kennedy Forum for bringing together a conversation that moves mental health care in this more aligned, accessible, and compassionate direction.
