Calnet History

Calnet was founded by the CEO’s of several non-profit hospitals around California who sought to create an organization that would represent their 21-day
accredited inpatient substance use disorder rehabilitation programs to employers, employee assistance representatives, unions and union pension funds.

Shortly after the founding of Calnet, the California legislature enacted landmark legislation that for the first time permitted health plans to
selectively contract with health providers. Managed care was born and Calnet quickly expanded its mission
to represent the network of high quality, substance use disorder providers to
health plans and other managed behavioral healthcare organizations.

Calnet signed its first managed behavioral health contract with Blue Cross of California in 1983.

In the years that followed, Calnet quickly grew to a statewide organization that held contracts with every major payor organization
represented in California. This growth was the result of Calnet’s reputation for quality services, and providers
willing to work cooperatively with care managers, and fair pricing of services.

Due to requests from payor organizations, Calnet has expanded its scope to include mental health and eating disorders services.
In addition, Calnet developed the first statewide network of intensive outpatient
programs for substance use disorder, mental health, and eating disorders.

Today, Calnet members provide services at more than 85 sites of care throughout California. Calnet remains the
only network of its kind in the most populous managed care-driven state in the United States.