PA HealthChoices: Physical vs Behavioral Health MCOs by County

Last updated: October 9, 2026.

Check the behavioral health route separately

Pennsylvania has separate Physical HealthChoices and Behavioral HealthChoices programs. For behavioral health services, identify the responsible BH-MCO and its network. Do not use a physical health plan’s name as your only evidence of the mental health billing route.

DHS Behavioral HealthChoices program

Physical HealthChoices plans are listed by region

As of October 9, 2026, DHS’s physical health directory lists AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania, AmeriHealth Caritas Northeast, Geisinger, Jefferson Health Plans EverWell, Highmark Wholecare, UPMC for You, Keystone First, and United Healthcare Community Plan across its regions. Availability varies by region; use the official regional directory.

DHS Physical HealthChoices MCO directory by region

Behavioral HealthChoices county list: all 67 counties

As of October 9, 2026, the official DHS directory assigns counties to the following five BH-MCOs. Use the member’s county of residence and verify their actual enrollment before billing. Recheck the live directory when an assignment is uncertain.

• Community Behavioral Health (CBH): Philadelphia.

• Community Care Behavioral Health Organization (CCBHO / CCBH): Adams, Allegheny, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Forest, Greene, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mifflin, Montour, Monroe, Northumberland, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Warren, Wayne, Wyoming, York.

• Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania: Bedford, Bucks, Cambria, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Somerset.

• PerformCare: Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry.

• Carelon Health of PA, Inc.: Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Fayette, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Washington, Westmoreland, Venango.

DHS official BH-MCO county directory

Beacon is a legacy Carelon name; PerformCare is separate

DHS’s Behavioral HealthChoices publications page identifies Carelon Behavioral Health as formerly Beacon Health Options. Use the current Carelon name when comparing older records with the DHS list. PerformCare is a separate BH-MCO, not another name for Carelon.

DHS Behavioral HealthChoices publications: Carelon formerly Beacon

DHS BH-MCO directory

Find the actual assignment before credentialing or billing

DHS’s EVS provides managed care information along with service-date eligibility and other coverage. Our recommendation is to keep the EVS result and the BH-MCO participation confirmation together, so the clinician and biller can work from the same payer information.

DHS ACCESS Eligibility Verification System FAQ

Ask about the exact network and service

State Medicaid enrollment does not guarantee MCO participation. Ask the identified BH-MCO about the clinician, billing entity, location, service, and effective participation date. Our suggested worksheet keeps the state enrollment decision and the plan’s network decision in separate rows.

DHS: enroll as a Medicaid provider

Related Pennsylvania Medicaid guides

• PROMISe Provider Portal Login and Account Setup in PA

• PA Medicaid Enrollment for Therapists: PROMISe and ePEAP

• Verify PA Medicaid Eligibility with PROMISe EVS

• PA Medicaid Behavioral Health Claims: PROMISe or BH-MCO?

• PA Medicaid Mental Health Telehealth Billing: Current Rules

• Add your biller as a PROMISe alternate

• Check a PROMISe application using the ATN

• Assign an individual clinician’s fees to a group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a UPMC for You physical health enrollment enough for BH network participation?

Do not assume that. Identify the responsible Behavioral HealthChoices organization and confirm its network requirements.

Are CBH and CCBH the same organization?

No. The DHS county list distinguishes Community Behavioral Health from Community Care Behavioral Health Organization.

Are Carelon and PerformCare the same BH-MCO?

No. DHS lists them separately; DHS identifies Beacon as Carelon’s former name.