University to transition to Aetna for behavior and mental health care

May 15, 2024

Wake Forest is committed to cultivating a campus community where all faculty, staff, and students can thrive. Part of this commitment includes providing access to quality behavioral and mental health care through the University’s employee benefit plans. After three years of evaluation, Wake Forest will transition from Carolina Behavioral Health Alliance (CBHA) to Aetna as the University’s third-party behavioral health plan administrator on January 1, 2025.

The majority of utilizing members will not be impacted by this transition. Step-by-step instructions for determining whether your behavioral health provider will be in-network with Aetna are outlined on the 2025 Behavioral Health Plan Transition webpage, as well as additional resources such as:

• WFU-dedicated Aetna customer service email and phone number for personalized assistance
• Step-by-step instructions for finding a new in-network provider
• Guidance for asking your provider to join the Aetna network
• Frequently asked questions
• Ongoing and new behavioral health resources available to you

We value the importance of patient and provider relationships. We understand that any disruption is never ideal. And we have heard your concerns about provider access and wait times. Aetna will proactively contact all utilizing members’ out-of-network providers to encourage them to join their network. We will continue to work with Aetna to minimize possible disruption and address these concerns over the next eight months leading up to the January 1, 2025, transition.

You can learn more about why the University elected to make this transition by viewing this Fact Sheet. You may also share your questions, feedback, and concerns about this transition by completing this Google Form; if you indicate a response is desired, an HR colleague will respond within two business days.