Communities across the country are severely underserved when it comes to accessing mental health services. There is such a significant need for mental health and substance use treatment, yet access remains a prevailing issue. The impact from not receiving mental health care is well known and...
On March 28th, the Biden-Harris Administration submitted its presidential budget proposal for the 2023 fiscal year. While this action is just the first step in the lengthy budgetary process, it offers an interesting insight into the White House’s spending and policy priorities moving towards the...
As a behavioral healthcare provider, you know all too well that running a successful organization involves much more than providing quality care for your clients. The reality is, you cannot provide effective care if you neglect the operational elements of your business which also require your time...
What is population-based care and why should it matter if you’re a behavioral healthcare provider? In this podcast, "Understanding Population-Based Care", you’ll learn about this emerging healthcare model, how it goes hand-in-hand with value-based payments, and the impact it will have on your practice. According to...
Children in America face an unprecedented rise in chronic childhood illness, from allergies to autism. The current healthcare system is set up to treat acute diseases, but lacks the capacity for complex cases. In contrast, the whole child approach uses collaborative care, including physical, behavioral,...
If you want your organization to thrive in the behavioral healthcare market, you must start thinking about value-based care now. As the focus shifts away from traditional fee-for-service (FFS) systems that pay for the amount of treatment, value-based payments (VBP) are becoming increasingly important to...
The new year will be here before you know it. Now is a great time to re-evaluate your RCM strategy. Have you selected the right RCM option for your facility? Are you sure you’re getting paid for all of your services? Do you want to...
Value based payments are here to stay. Figuring out how to measure your outcomes to get paid for your work is just one of the challenges behavioral health organizations face as they plan for the future. Not all that long ago, start up mental health programs...
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are no longer a luxury. If you want to thrive in the modern behavioral health world, it's imperative that you find one that fits your organization's unique needs. However, not all EHRs are created equal. To truly transform your practice, you...
There’s some great news for the behavioral health community from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): HHS announced that they are making approximately $15 billion available to Medicaid and CHIP providers experiencing lost revenues or increased expenses due to COVID-19--specifically for those who have...
For quite some time, insurers and healthcare providers have been moving towards a value-based healthcare model, and away from the traditional fee-for-service payment system. In value-based care, providers are incentivized based on the quality of care they provide and the meaningful treatment outcomes used to...
There are numerous challenges that come with running a residential behavioral healthcare program. The tangled web of paperwork, accreditation, and compliance standards can be a real headache for those running the facilities. In addition, many administrators see high turnover as unavoidable, and accept claims denials...
The financial impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on businesses can not be understated. No industry has been immune, but some, including behavioral health, have been hit harder than others. Stay at home orders have dramatically decreased the ability to conduct in-office visits for...
The field of behavioral healthcare has changed. 60-65% of human service agencies bound to a fee-for-service model fail. Medicaid margins are razor thin when you consider the exceedingly low payments mental health counselors receive versus the escalating costs of delivering quality care, forcing many direct...
Behavioral healthcare is changing. Focus is shifting away from traditional fee-for-service (FFS) systems to value-based payments (VBP). These new payment methods link reimbursements with improved performance and outcomes. They are designed to hold providers accountable for the quality of care they provide to their clients....
Whether yours is a for profit or nonprofit facility, behavioral healthcare is ultimately a business. Your facility needs to operate in a financially responsible manner and pay its expenses based on revenue. It also needs to achieve its mission and provide excellent outcomes for its...
The healthcare space is in the process of a challenging transition to value-based care. The expectation that most organizations can make the transition in a year or two is overly optimistic. Complete transformation may take a long journey and will require careful consideration. So far,...
Part Two in a Series Employee retention is a tremendous problem in the American behavioral healthcare system. In a 2018 survey of more than 600 treatment professionals, 60% claimed that their clinical departments are understaffed, and most pointed the finger at turnover as the main reason...
First in a Series In order to truly provide top-notch care for your clients, you need an all-star team of professionals working around you. Physicians, case workers, therapists, nurses, and billers, the list goes on and on. A successful practice relies on a full staff of...
Mental healthcare is a booming business. It is also unique because discussions about profit, using the word "sales", and the downsides of this industry are rarely, if ever, spoken about. It's time to start! Sit back, relax, and listen as co-hosts Dave Ballenberger, MSW, and Kristin...
When choosing an EHR, much of the discussion surrounds how it will benefit the organization. But what does a Behavioral Health EHR provide for the patient? Improved behavioral health care. EHRs help staff make the best clinical decisions about how to treat patients. For example, treatment plans will...