Press & Data
Lean Medical publishes original research on behavioral health access in California, built from public records. Everything on this page is free to use with attribution to Lean Medical (leanmedical.ai). We respond to journalist requests within one business day, usually faster.
Dataset: Mental health insurance denials and appeal outcomes
We analyzed all 42,749 California DMHC independent medical review cases from 2021 through 2025, filtered to behavioral health. Headline finding: 75.2% of appealed mental health denials were overturned, rising to 82.6% in 2025. Californians who appeal a mental health denial usually win. Very few appeal.
Dataset: California's behavioral health workforce, county by county
We mapped every actively registered psychologist and psychiatrist in California by county using the federal NPPES provider registry. Headline findings: 17 California counties have zero child psychiatrists; Stanislaus County has the lowest psychologist density of any large California county; 61% of the state's psychologists practice in just five counties.
Coming soon
Upcoming reports include the state's licensed therapist workforce (LMFT and LCSW) by county, therapy wait times by health plan, and what California insurers actually pay for therapy. Journalists can request early access to any of these.
Expert sources
Dr. Britney Blair, PsyD, is Lean Medical's clinical director: a licensed clinical psychologist and Stanford faculty member who has built and run independent behavioral health practices in California. She is available for interviews on clinician shortages, insurance coverage of mental health care, and telehealth. Lean Medical clinicians across California may also be available for local stories, subject to their schedules.
Methodology and corrections
Every report links its sources and method. Workforce figures come from the federal NPPES registry; appeal outcomes come from the California DMHC independent medical review public file. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it and note the correction.
Contact
Jas Bagniewski, CEO — jas@leanmedical.ai. For raw files, custom county or year cuts of any dataset, or to schedule an interview, email with your deadline and we will work to it.