Google-backed Quartet Health, which uses technology to promote collaborative care for mental health conditions, will work with Humana to improve the mental and physical health of New Orleans residents. The initiative is part of Humana's Bold Goal initiative to make its communities 20 percent healthier by 2020.

Humana and Quartet chose New Orleans because it has a high incidence of chronic conditions, which are often associated with depression, and few resources to address behavioral health disparities.

"In New Orleans there is so much need, yet a scarcity of resources," Patrick Kennedy, a member of Quartet's board, said in a statement. "Integrated, tech-enabled approaches that support primary care and provide access to mental health in the primary care setting may be the only way we can get patients the care they need.”

Quartet helps primary care physicians pinpoint which patients may need behavioral health support. Primary care physicians can then use the service to refer patients using Quartet’s referral network, or members can use Quartet Health's app to communicate with a psychiatrist via video or phone, participate in online treatment programs to help manage conditions, view resources and health information to learn about cognitive conditions, and connect with peers.

Humana will initially make Quartet's services available to its Greater New Orleans Medicare Advantage members. Humana covers 225,000 Medicare lives in the state of Louisiana.

“Quartet is dedicated to improving access and integration of mental health services," Quartet CEO Arun Gupta said in a statement. "The system has been siloed for too long. We are excited to work with Humana, a leader in care for aging populations that deeply understands the impact poorly treated mental health has on overall health, especially among seniors.”

After raising $40 million in a round led by Google Ventures last year, Quartet announced that it would work with Highmark in Pennsylvania and with Premera Blue Cross in Washington.