Care Management Blog

Medicare beneficiary statistics demonstrate the need for some level of behavioral health integration with primary care:

Due to the pandemic, the demand for expanded Behavioral Health services in primary care settings has increased significantly. It is reported that one in five adults have a diagnosable mental health disorder, whereas two out of five individuals experience symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) is a monthly program that helps Medicare beneficiaries address mental health concerns. Covered by Medicare Part B, providers should learn what CPT billing codes are used for BHI in order to optimize care delivery and avoid denied claims.

Clinicians and healthcare policymakers are accepting that physical and mental health are closely interconnected. This view is now influencing the aims and focus of value-based care (VBC) through Chronic Care Management (CCM), care coordination, and Behavioral Health Integration (BHI).

There are several ways that providers, like family medicine and primary care, health systems, and value-based care groups, are leveraging innovative payment arrangements and technologies to provide behavioral health support and treatment.

The combination of a burgeoning senior adult population and an increased prevalence of behavioral health conditions—encompassing mental health and substance use disorders—creates greater risks to elder health and wellness. It also produces an unsustainable burden on Medicare and provider organizations.