ChatGPT is already the largest mental health provider in America | Yusuf Sherwani, MD, Pelago CEO

Yusuf Sherwani, MD, Co-Founder and CEO of Pelago, joins Chrissy to talk about why substance use disorder is one of the most stigmatized and least-treated chronic conditions in healthcare, despite touching roughly one in five people. They dig into the hidden cost of leaving it untreated, including a $12,000-per-patient ROI independently verified by Aon, and the case for treating addiction with the same chronic-disease framework as diabetes or heart disease. The conversation turns to AI's role in closing the treatment gap, including Pelago's own tool Sona, built to challenge patients rather than just validate them, and why Yusuf believes outcomes-based pricing, not session-based billing, is the right model for AI-driven behavioral health. —Pelago is the leading specialty substance use care provider, built on the belief that effective treatment means matching care intensity to what each member actually needs rather than defaulting to the most expensive intervention. Our programs deliver personalized treatment for tobacco, alcohol, opioid, cannabis, and stimulant use based on individual health, habits, genetics, and goals. With Sona, our voice-first AI Mental Health Specialist, Pelago now applies that same clinically-driven model to mental health, pairing deep clinical expertise with technology to expand access without compromising care quality. https://pelago.health/secondopinion  —Join Christina for an upcoming webinar:• 7/27 - Peptide Therapy: Where Do We Go From Here? - https://streamyard.com/watch/AgaHuDEvjisN  —LINKS:Chrissy Farr on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LiferswithChristinaFarr Chrissy Farr on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cfarr/ Subscribe to the Second Opinion Newsletter: https://secondopinion.media/ Chrissy’s Book: The Storyteller's Advantage: https://www.chrissyfarr.com/books  —FOLLOW:Yusuf:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ysherwani https://x.com/ysherwani  Chrissy:https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinafarr/ https://x.com/chrissyfarr  —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Lead In(00:42) Intro(01:56) UK vs US healthcare shock(03:38) Why healthtech moves to US(06:32) Selling to employers in person(11:01) Building for the long haul(13:21) Why addiction care is broken(15:53) Addiction as chronic disease(19:40) Pelago digital clinic model(21:40) Employer costs and ROI case(27:22) Finding SUD in claims data(29:54) Who addiction really affects(32:41) Peers groups and AI support(35:14) AI therapy promise and risks(44:18) Measuring outcomes and pricing(46:45) Benefits tighten and ROI rules(50:57) Safe AI in healthcare(57:49) Wrap