DENVER — Humboldt Health, Blackwell Captive Solutions’ Missouri-domiciled group medical stop-loss captive built exclusively for cannabis employers, now includes virtual urgent care and virtual behavioral health for members at no additional cost.
Supported by stop-loss carrier Berkley Accident and Health, Humboldt Health provides licensed cannabis and cannabis-adjacent operators (with 25 or more enrolled employees) a self-funded alternative with visibility and cost control that traditional carriers rarely offer cannabis businesses.
Cannabis remains an emerging, heavily regulated industry, and many employers in the space are newer to offering structured health benefits than employers in more established sectors. As a result, behavioral health needs and everyday medical concerns among the cannabis workforce more often go unaddressed more often than in other industries.
Humboldt Health meets this demand. Virtual Behavioral Health provides therapy and counseling at no cost for employees and their family members aged 14 and up, with most visits available within 48 hours. Their Virtual Urgent Care solution provides 24/7 access to board-certified physicians for the whole family. When a member chooses a virtual visit instead of the ER, urgent care, or a doctor’s office, the claim never reaches the employer’s self-funded retention layer.
“Traditional funding models focus on who pays for risk, not what causes it. But Humboldt Health empowers cannabis employers to manage the cost drivers behind their health plans,” said Scott Byrne, president of Blackwell Captive Solutions. “Cannabis employers have been underserved for years, and when they do get coverage, they rarely get the tools to manage what’s driving their costs. Embedding virtual care into Humboldt Health gives members an easier way to get care and gives employers a real lever on the claims that would otherwise hit their plan.”
Employers can add other optional programs, including Virtual Primary Care and On-Demand Counseling, as their groups grow.
“Cannabis employees deserve the same easy access to care as any other workforce,” said Byrne. “Humboldt Health’s model is a natural fit for virtual care. It meets members where they are, on their phones and on their schedule, and helps employers keep routine and behavioral care out of higher-cost settings.”
Virtual care joins B.Well Blueprint, the risk-management program included in Humboldt Health’s captive-management fees. B.Well Blueprint brings claims and population-health visibility, benefits navigation, targeted support for high-cost renal and oncology risks, and pharmacy strategy into the program, giving cannabis employers an ongoing, data-driven view of what drives plan cost.
Cannabis employers and their benefits brokers can learn more or request information at blackwellcaptive.com/humboldt-health.
About Blackwell Captive Solutions
Blackwell Captive Solutions is a medical stop-loss group captive focused on bending the healthcare cost curve for self-funded employers. By sharing risk without sacrificing control, Blackwell helps members achieve greater financial stability, transparency, and long-term cost containment. Humboldt Health is a Blackwell Captive Solutions program built for the cannabis industry.
