MBHO | 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 [...]

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) & Parity: What Should Employers Do?

The question of what to do with employee assistance programs or EAP when Parity legislation drastically expands behavioral health coverage is not new. We have been dealing with this question for more than a decade. The questions take on several different flavors:

Is it true that mental health and substance abuse coverage will be [...]

Taking the Conservative Approach to Health Spending

This is not meant to be a political statement though it will raise political hackles. It’s purely an observation and a series of nagging questions that I want to get on the table. Last night I read that the average household of four paid $6,000 in premiums for health coverage in the year 2000. [...]

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 [...]

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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