Value-Based Reimbursement in Behavioral Health

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The behavioral health industry has historically lagged behind physical healthcare in adopting value-based and outcomes-based care models. Value-based care is also known as accountable care. A value-based care system is focused on getting value from quality services. Value-based healthcare is a payment system that rewards healthcare providers in accordance with the quality of care provided to their patients. Payments are based on better health for populations and other things, such as cost reduction, which can lead to a focus on preventative care.

The benefit of value-based care is a patient in a value-based healthcare model will have fewer doctor’s visits, medical tests, and medical procedures. Additionally, they pay less for medication as their health gradually improves. BlueCross BlueShield came into the value-based reimbursement arrangement with Value Network. The provider group has 100+ providers in behavioral health care in Western New York.

“This is another step we’re taking to build a behavioral health care model that’s designed to treat the whole person effectively,” said Dr. Thomas Schenk, Senior Vice President, and chief Medical Officer, of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York. “BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York is proud to partner with the region’s leading behavioral health care providers to introduce the first payment model designed to directly enhance quality care for our members with mental health and/or substance use disorder diagnoses.”

It is important that BlueCross BlueShield allied with Value Network. Because of this alliance, 23 providers who have been licensed through OASAS the New York State Office of Mental Health, and the Home and Community-Based Service Providers (HCBS) entered into its network.

The contract contains an upside-risk agreement and it follows the payer’s best practice approach to value-based reimbursement for primary care providers.

“This is another step we’re taking to build a behavioral health care model that’s designed to treat the whole person effectively,” Schenk said of the value-based reimbursement arrangement with Value Network.

Value-Based Behavioral Health

What is meant by adopting a value-based model in the behavioral health sector? It requires the whole person physically and mentally, not just addressing a specific complaint or ailment.

When a patient with a broken arm, a medical provider x-rays the arm, finds the pain area and creates a treatment plan that will focus on the arm. This is a straightforward case; it shows the exact focus of the provider with the help of an X-ray report. When a patient is with complaints of anxiety, extreme fatigue, or signs of depression, this time the whole person must be examined to find out the exact reason behind this.