Managed Care | Behavioral Health Today

EHR Systems and Behavioral Health: Advice for the Faint of Heart

The RAND Corporation recently released a report expounding the virtues of electronic health records systems’ positive impact on healthcare costs. This hotly debated topic almost always addresses the cost of medical care, hospitalizations, labs, imaging and surgery and almost never includes the cost of behavioral health. Our field’s rate of technology adoption probably has [...]

The Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act-Are you ready for Parity?

Next week’s webinar will offer payors a roadmap to readiness. Register here:

http://behavioralhealthcentral.com/index.php/Event-Registration/vmchk.ht

Parity Legislation Compliance Webinar Series Part 1: Getting Ready for Mental Health Parity Wednesday, December 9 at 2 p.m.

The Mental Health Parity [...]

The Behavioral Health Field Must Address Quality – Part 1

Last week, the President of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), Margaret O’Kane, reported that quality of care in the United States did not improve in 2008. She went on to say that she believes health reform must address quality. A review of the report makes it abundantly clear to this author that [...]

Health Plans Face Daunting Tasks. Parity Not High On List of To-Dos

I am attending the California Association of Health Plans annual conference this week and thought I would share some of what I am observing. For starters, Howard Khan, CEO of LA Care Health Plan and Chairman of CAHP Board provided a keynote that immediately established the context where health plans are concerned. He pointed [...]

In Support of a Public-Private Option

Throughout the campaign, we heard a chorus that went something like this: “I want those of you who are uninsured to benefit from coverage similar to mine. Federal employees enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) have tremendous health insurance. We could leverage these plans, model a solution accordingly, and vastly expand [...]

The Bigger Picture: Making Sense of Behavioral Health Beyond Reform and Post-Parity

The reform debate rages on (and on). Meanwhile, some very important questions remain unanswered and buried under the weight of “inflammation” rather than meaningful healthcare information. To say that this process has become inflamed and devisive – hijacked by pundits and strategists from both sides of the aisle – is a great understatement at [...]

“Addiction Equity” – Addressing Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Coverage with the help of ASAM

We recently presented to the State Associations of Addictions Services (SAAS) at their annual summit in Tucson where they had joined forces with NIATx (and by extension SAMHSA and NIDA) in the interest of exploring patient engagement strategies, the exchange of process improvement ideas, and understanding how healthcare reform and the Mental Health Parity [...]

Reform, Rationing & Rationality: How The Healthcare Debate Unfolds In Behavioral Health

Watching the House and Senate debate and planning process and witnessing the media and pundit reaction on television and in the blog-o-sphere everyday, I find it no wonder the average voter is losing confidence. The healthcare debate in this country revolves around some of the most complex economic, scientific, legal and ethical challenges in [...]

Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Services Akin to Removing Barriers

As we approach the launch of Parity this Fall and Winter and slog through the trials and tribulations of the Healthcare Reform “process” in Washington DC, we are reminded that one of the overarching goals for both Parity and Reform is enhanced access to high-quality care. I don’t know about you but that particular [...]

Challenges & Opportunities in Public Behavioral Health Systems

I am attending the SAMHSA Grantees conference this week and presenting on the topic of Parity. The theme for the entire conference is “Challenges & Opportunities”. I’ve already prepared my slides and hand-outs but did a bit more thinking on the plane. I did more reading, to be honest. My briefcase is jammed with [...]

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