Behavioral Healthcare

New Medicaid Payment Model Targets Behavioral Health Integration

January 18, 2024 - CMS has announced a new Medicaid payment model that will incent care coordination across physical, behavioral, and social providers to improve the quality of care Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries receive. The model, called the Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model, is part of the Biden Administration’s new HHS Roadmap for Behavioral...

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CMS Will Issue OPPS Providers Lump-Sum Payments to Remedy 340B Losses

by Victoria Bailey

Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) providers participating in the 340B drug pricing program will receive a one-time lump-sum payment to offset losses between calendar years (CYs)...

Value-Based Payments in Medicaid Tied to More Behavioral Health Visits

by Victoria Bailey

Medicaid value-based payment reform was associated with an increase in behavioral health visits for patients with mental health conditions, a study published in JAMA Health Forum found. As of 2020, 12...

ACO Participation Cuts Medicare Spending on Serious Mental Illness

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Mental healthcare is costly for both Medicare and its beneficiaries, but ACO participation may help reduce the expenses for those facing serious mental illness, according to a new study published in...

AHA Shares Strategies for Addressing Healthcare Workforce Challenges

by Victoria Bailey

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has released the first of three reports detailing how hospital and health system leaders can help address healthcare workforce challenges by supporting worker...

Psychiatrists See Low Merit-Based Incentive Payment System Scores

by Victoria Bailey

Psychiatrists had significantly lower performance scores, received more penalties, and earned fewer bonuses in the 2020 Medicare Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) compared to other outpatient...

AHA Urges Congress to Address Behavioral Healthcare Provider Shortage

by Victoria Bailey

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has asked Congress to lift the caps on physician residency positions and increase financial support programs to help health systems address the shortage of...

Can Behavioral Science Reduce Healthcare Worker Vaccine Hesitancy?

by Jill McKeon

Individually addressed email reminders driven by behavioral science may be effective at reducing healthcare worker vaccine hesitancy, according to a research letter published in JAMA Network Open. The...

HHS Distributes Another $20B in Provider Relief Funds

by Jacqueline LaPointe

HHS recently announced new Phase 3 Provider Relief Funding for healthcare providers, including an expanded group of behavioral health providers. According to the announcement, HHS will begin...

Some Alternative Payment Models Are Improving Behavioral Health

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Alternative payment models (APMs) are taking steps to improve behavioral health, but the models need more to make large strides, according to a study from the University of Washington and Harvard...

Amazon Launches Health Centers to Boost Employee Access to Care

by Samantha McGrail

Amazon and Crossover Health launched a healthcare pilot to establish local, convenient health centers near Amazon fulfillment centers and boost access to care for employees and their families. The...

Medicare Overpaid Surgeons by $2.6B for Postoperative Care

by Samantha McGrail

Medicare overpaid surgeons by $2.6 billion for postoperative care even though only four percent of minor surgical procedures resulted in postoperative care, according to a recent study from RAND...

CMS Considers Behavioral Health Alternative Payment Model

by Jacqueline LaPointe

CMS recently announced its intention to develop an alternative payment model targeting behavioral health services. The federal agency is seeking stakeholder feedback on model development in a public...

AMGA: Tie Medicare Reimbursement to Care Coordination Metrics

by Jacqueline LaPointe

According to two comment letters to CMS, the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) has urged the federal agency to better align Medicare reimbursements and value-based incentive payments to promote...

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