North Carolina managed care organizations Vaya Health and Partners Health Management are set to merge, forming one large behavioral health organization dedicated to integrated care.
The combined entity will provide services for individuals in North Carolina with complex conditions related to mental health, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries.
When the deal closes in October of 2026, the joint entity will be known as Vaya Partners and will serve roughly 222,000 members. The partners pitch the acquisition as a way to offer more consolidated services in the region.
“Our highest priority is and always will be the health, safety, and well-being of the members and recipients we are privileged to serve,” Tracy Hayes, area director and chief executive officer of Vaya Health, said in a statement. “This merger represents a shared vision of a stronger health plan that will bolster North Carolina’s public behavioral health/IDD/TBI system, support our county partners, and serve even more North Carolinians on their journey toward health and wellness.”
Following the merger, Hayes will serve as area director and CEO of the joint entity. Partners Health Management CEO Libby McCraw will move into the role of senior deputy CEO and Rachel Porter, currently deputy CEO, will continue in that role.This isn’t the only behavioral health managed care deal to make headlines this year. In February, the Madison Health Group (MHG) announced plans to acquire managed behavioral health provider Magellan Health. This came roughly five years after Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) purchased Magellan Health at a $2.2 billion valuation. Following the deal, Magellan will be the largest independent behavioral health managed care organization.