StartUp Health NOW Podcast Making Behavioral Health Work in Primary Care: A Conversation with Indira Paharia, PsyD, of VIBEcare
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Jan 23, 2026 Indira Paharia, PsyD, clinical psychologist turned payer executive and CEO of VIBEcare, builds virtual integrated behavioral health for primary care. She talks about why behavioral health often appears first in primary care. She explores the collaborative care model, how reimbursement and virtual care remove barriers, and scalable staffing approaches to expand access.
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From Clinician To Payer Leader
- Indira Paharia trained as a clinical psychologist and then moved into healthcare finance and payer leadership to solve funding gaps for behavioral health.
- She ran behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield, Molina, and Centene before co-founding VIBEcare to scale integrated care.
Virtual Collaborative Care At Scale
- VIBEcare applies the collaborative care model virtually with a proprietary platform, standardized coaching, and measurement-based care.
- The model integrates with EHRs for referrals and reports while remaining fully remote to increase access.
Payment Codes Changed Everything
- Payment codes for collaborative care transformed feasibility by creating billable reimbursement for integrated services.
- Medicare, many commercial plans, and increasing Medicaid programs now reimburse these codes, enabling broader adoption.