Does Spring + Alma = Good for Behavioral Health?
Fri Jan 30 2026
Spring Health and Alma just merged? This is a moment we can’t ignore.
This quick-hitter episode breaks down the implications of this merger, without the hype and without the headlines. Our hosts, Chris and Melissa, dive into what this consolidation really means for payers, providers, and most importantly, patients.
They explore how modern EAPs, payer infrastructure, and direct-to-consumer mental health platforms are starting to converge, and why this signals a major shift in the mental health ecosystem heading into 2026.
No hot takes in this episode. Instead, a thoughtful, grounded analysis of where the market is going, and what innovators should be thinking about now.
Melissa and Chris also zoom out to talk about founder journeys, creativity under pressure, and what is giving them hope right now - because healthcare innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
Join the Conversation:
We continue to grow a community of healthcare innovators, founders, operators and thinkers. If you’re scoping, building, or wrestling with big ideas in healthcare, you’re not alone.
Join our Discord community, and connect with people who get it
Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of healthcare, innovation, and humanity
#HopePowerandHealthcare
Hosts:Chris Hemphill - Chris’s 17 years in healthcare technology have spanned sales, operations, data science IC, and AI leadership. Chris couples this with a focus on health equity and serves as the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy Research Fellow for Healthcare AI. Chris’s currently leads Modular Feedback, which focuses on helping healthcare innovators find and build thoughtful AI use cases: https://modularfeedback.com
Melissa Reilly - Melissa spent the last 20 years leading innovations at major payers: UnitedHealth Group(Optum Ventures), Aetna, and Evernorth/Cigna. She’s helped drive and commercialize multiple startups in AI & consumer testing, and she is now driving product and commercialization for healthcare innovators full-time. She brings industry expertise as well as a background in law, negotiation, & real estate. Her company’s name is STLTH.
Production:Edited by Alyssa SchrollMusic by Chris Hemphill
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Spring Health and Alma just merged? This is a moment we can’t ignore. This quick-hitter episode breaks down the implications of this merger, without the hype and without the headlines. Our hosts, Chris and Melissa, dive into what this consolidation really means for payers, providers, and most importantly, patients. They explore how modern EAPs, payer infrastructure, and direct-to-consumer mental health platforms are starting to converge, and why this signals a major shift in the mental health ecosystem heading into 2026. No hot takes in this episode. Instead, a thoughtful, grounded analysis of where the market is going, and what innovators should be thinking about now. Melissa and Chris also zoom out to talk about founder journeys, creativity under pressure, and what is giving them hope right now - because healthcare innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Join the Conversation: We continue to grow a community of healthcare innovators, founders, operators and thinkers. If you’re scoping, building, or wrestling with big ideas in healthcare, you’re not alone. Join our Discord community, and connect with people who get it Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of healthcare, innovation, and humanity #HopePowerandHealthcare Hosts:Chris Hemphill - Chris’s 17 years in healthcare technology have spanned sales, operations, data science IC, and AI leadership. Chris couples this with a focus on health equity and serves as the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy Research Fellow for Healthcare AI. Chris’s currently leads Modular Feedback, which focuses on helping healthcare innovators find and build thoughtful AI use cases: https://modularfeedback.com Melissa Reilly - Melissa spent the last 20 years leading innovations at major payers: UnitedHealth Group(Optum Ventures), Aetna, and Evernorth/Cigna. She’s helped drive and commercialize multiple startups in AI & consumer testing, and she is now driving product and commercialization for healthcare innovators full-time. She brings industry expertise as well as a background in law, negotiation, & real estate. Her company’s name is STLTH. Production:Edited by Alyssa SchrollMusic by Chris Hemphill