Entrepreneur Launches Black-Owned Mental Health Insurance Credentialing Business to Address Mental Health Disparities

Nationwide — Meet Frances Latimer, Founder and CEO of Open Door Billing LLC, an MBE-certified, Black-owned company that aims to address the systemic credentialing disparities that disproportionately affect minority mental health providers, creating significant barriers in care for African American and Latino communities. Frances, who brings her journey of overcoming a severe injury to champion equal access to mental health care, says she is excited to announce its launch during Mental Health Awareness Month. Minority mental health providers often face daunting challenges, from intricate paperwork to low reimbursement rates and high denial rates in credentialing, particularly with Medicaid and Medicare in California. Insurance credentialing, the process by which healthcare providers gain approval from insurance companies to offer covered services, is crucial for expanding patient access and ensuring mental health providers arefairly compensated. Open Door Billing provides tailored services to navigate these obstacles effectively, ensuring providers can focus on patient care without bureaucratic distractions. Statistics show that African American and Latino communities experience substantial barriers to accessing mental health services. According to the American Psychiatric Association, only 1 in 3 African Americans who need mental health care receive it, and the figures are similarly concerning for Latinos. Open Door Billing is...