Why Spring Health Acquired Alma, and What it Means for Employers

This post is written for Spring Health employer partners. If you're an Alma provider, see What Spring Health's acquisition of Alma means for Alma therapists. 

Spring Health acquired Alma to close mental health care's third and hardest barrier: care continuity.

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Key takeaways

• On May 1, 2026, Alma became part of Spring Health. Spring Health acquired Alma so care can follow members across more of life's moments: through job changes, coverage changes, and major life events. For employers, Spring Health's acquisition of Alma means a bigger network, improved access, and smoother care transitions for employees who already see an Alma provider.
• Spring Health now supports employees through more of the moments that matter. Individuals will increasingly be able to continue care when they need it most: through job transitions, coverage changes, and life events. The goal is to reduce the disruption that can contribute to disengagement, higher-acuity needs, and more costly care.
• Nothing changes about how employers work with Spring Health. Contracts, pricing, implementation, and support for Spring Health employer partners will continue as they are today. 

Over the past decade, Spring Health has partnered with organizations to solve two of the largest barriers to mental health care: access and clinical quality. When an employer offers Spring Health, employees and their dependents get care in less than a day. The outcomes are independently validated by JAMA Network Open and the Validation Institute. 92 percent of members reliably improved or recovered from depression or anxiety, and peer-reviewed research found a 1.9x return on investment. These outcomes have been independently validated by JAMA Network Open and the Validation Institute.

Now that Spring Health has acquired Alma, we're taking on a third and equally critical barrier: care continuity. This update explains how Spring Health employer partners will benefit from the Alma acquisition without disruption or changes. 

Why did Spring Health acquire Alma?

Spring Health acquired Alma to close the last major gap in mental health care: continuity. Together, Spring Health and Alma reach more than 170 million people worldwide. Alma is one of the largest mental health provider networks in the country, so many employees may already have a relationship with an Alma provider.

Alma's clinicians serve members through national health plan contracts with Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare, which cover more than 120 million lives. Many employees may already have a relationship with an Alma provider, making it easier to preserve trusted care rather than asking them to start over. The immediate value for employers is simpler access, stronger continuity, and a smoother experience for their people.

[Pull Quote: "Employers have told us what they want: a mental health benefit that's sustainable, that delivers the right level of care at the right moment, and that reaches their entire workforce. The Alma acquisition is how we deliver on all three. A significantly larger network, fewer disruptions at launch because many employees already see an Alma provider, and comprehensive care for all of life's moments." - April Koh, CEO, Spring Health]

What care continuity looks like for your workforce

An employee who has been seeing an Alma therapist can keep that relationship when they change jobs to a Spring Health-covered employer, when their health plan changes, or when a life event disrupts their coverage. The care experience stays connected across the transition.

That's the difference between a benefit that starts fresh with every change and one that follows the person. For employers, it means fewer disengaged employees, fewer higher-acuity escalations, and fewer moments where good clinical progress gets undone by a paperwork change.

Does the Alma acquisition impact how employers work with Spring Health?

Nothing changes about how employers work with Spring Health today. The experience you and your employees rely on today continues without interruption:

• Implementation: No new integration, technical work, or setup is required.
• Support: Your account team, onboarding, and day-to-day support remain the same.
• Finding and starting care: Members connect with a provider and attend sessions exactly as they do now.

The combination of Spring Health and Alma provides more access and continuity for your employees, with nothing new required from you. The FAQ below covers the specific questions we hear most from employer partners.

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Sources: Complete combination, JAMA 1.9x ROI study, Largest outcomes study, Validation Institute net‑savings certification

Related reading: What Spring Health’s acquisition of Alma means for Alma therapists and the announcement, Spring Health and Alma complete combination.

FAQ

What does Spring Health's acquisition of Alma mean for employers?
Nothing about your current relationship with Spring Health changes: contracts, pricing, implementation, and support all continue exactly as they are today. What does change is the size of the network available to your employees. Employees can now benefit from Alma's expanded provider network, which can mean smoother care transitions for employees who already see an Alma provider.

When did Spring Health acquire Alma? Spring Health completed its acquisition of Alma on May 1, 2026. Alma began operating as "Alma, part of Spring Health" on August 1, 2026, once the two brands were integrated.

Does this expand our Spring Health benefit or provider network? Spring Health’s current benefit design and provider network do not change today. By joining forces with Alma, however, we are creating one of the most expansive mental health platforms in the world, with a network of more than 40,000 providers.

For employers, this broader reach can improve access and reduce disruption when launching Spring Health, since some employees may already receive care from an Alma provider. Over time, Alma’s health plan relationships may also create more opportunities for people to continue in-network care as their employment or coverage changes.

Will there be additional integration work for employers after the Alma acquisition? No. There is no integration work required for employers partnering with Spring Health. Your current setup, workflows, and account relationship remain the same.

Does this change employer contracts or pricing? No. Spring Health’s acquisition of Alma does not change current contracts, pricing, or implementation terms.

Do employers need to take any action? No action is required. Your current setup, contracts, and account team continue as-is. As continuity expands across the provider network, your account team will surface any opportunities where existing employees can benefit.

Will this affect fully insured employers differently than self-insured employers? Yes. Self-insured employers already have continuity options through a Client-Specific Network. For fully insured employers, Alma’s relationships with the four largest national health plans may create similar continuity for eligible employees, depending on their plan and coverage, without requiring the employer to change its current benefit.

Will providers change how they work with Spring Health? No. Both Spring Health providers and Alma providers continue delivering care exactly as they do now, with the same tools, workflows, and client relationships. What changes over time is the ability of both networks to retain a client through a job or coverage transition, so providers can keep the relationships they've built rather than lose them when life changes.

Will members notice any difference in how they find or use their Spring Health provider? Spring Health members will not notice any difference in how they find or use their Spring Health provider. In the future, members will increasingly be able to keep seeing their existing provider within the same connected system through job and coverage changes.

Is Alma a part of Spring Health? Yes. As of August 1, 2026, Alma is officially referred to as ‘Alma, part of Spring Health.’ 

Who owns Alma now? Spring Health now owns Alma, following the acquisition's close on May 1, 2026.