August 2025 Top of Mind

Timely Appointment Standards for Individual and Family Plan Members

As an Optum network provider, you play a vital role in providing timely, assessable behavioral health care to Individual and Family Plan members. Updates were made to the appointment availability standards for Individual and Family Plans to ensure that members receive prompt behavioral health services.

The guidelines for behavioral health and substance use appointments for Individual and Family Plan members are:

• Providers must respond within 10 business days for appointment requests
• Member appointment wait times must be no more than 15 minutes
• Appointment reschedules must occur according to member need for continuity of care

Any stringent time frames that are required by applicable law or individual contract supersede the above standards.

Questions?

For full details, please refer to the Optum Behavioral Health National Network Manual or contact your Provider Services Advocate.