Behavioral healthcare stands at a critical inflection point for value-based care. Right now, individuals with behavioral health conditions are approximately five times more costly to treat than non-behavioral health populations, often utilizing emergency department (ED) services repeatedly without appropriate follow-up care. This is likely due to the increased likelihood of co-occurring medical issues and complex treatment needs for those with behavioral health conditions.
In early November at the Behavioral Health Tech conference, healthcare leaders collaborated to share insights at the Value-Based Care Payment Panel. Check out the top insights from Bamboo Health’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Smith.
“The time to get this right is now, with a 53% projected increase in demand for behavioral health services over the next decade.”
Jeff Smith, CEO of Bamboo Health
- The Case for Value-Based Care in Behavioral Health: To make value-based care (VBC) successful in this space, seamless collaboration and proactive intervention are essential. Solutions such as care navigation services and integrated care models help reduce costs while ensuring patients receive timely, appropriate care.
- Real-Time Insights Empower Better Decision-Making: Timely, actionable information is critical for improving care outcomes and advancing value-based care. Providers and care teams need real-time visibility into both physical and behavioral health to make informed decisions, especially during pivotal moments like ED discharges or care transitions. By leveraging real-time data, providers can improve behavioral health quality measures — such as follow-up rates after hospitalization — while also addressing gaps in care coordination. These insights help reduce administrative burdens, improve patient outcomes and ensure that high-need populations receive the right care at the right time.
- New Care Models Must Be Designed for High-Need, High-Cost Populations: Achieving success in value-based care requires innovation in care models, especially for vulnerable groups. Nearly 20-30% of Medicare and Medicaid populations experience serious mental illness, making them a significant focus for VBC initiatives. Individuals in integrated care programs are 20% less likely to experience hospitalizations and 30% less likely to visit the ED. These outcomes are possible through enhanced financial and clinical frameworks that incentivize holistic care for these high-need, high-cost populations.
- Behavioral Health Integration Is Non-Negotiable: Whole-person, coordinated care isn’t just an aspiration; it’s the foundation of effective value-based care. With over 27 million Americans living with untreated mental health conditions, integration of behavioral and physical health is critical. Conditions like anxiety and depression are found in 50-60% of patients with chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Whole-person care means treating patients holistically to improve their physical and behavioral health outcomes.
- Addressing Behavioral Health Challenges Requires a Bolstered Workforce: Connecting patients to the next best step in their care journey is one of the most significant challenges in behavioral health, particularly as workforce shortages augment both challenges and opportunities. We expect to see trends with organizations allocating dedicated, qualified behavioral health staff without adding full-time employees to bolster providers as the first line of defense. Care navigation models with external care coordination staff are emerging as a crucial solution, helping providers facilitate seamless transitions, reduce repeat visits and address barriers to accessing long-term care.
From integrating care to leveraging real-time intelligence, the conversation at Behavioral Health Tech underscored the urgency of addressing behavioral health needs alongside physical health. Together, we’re working to ensure that value-based care becomes the standard, not the exception, for behavioral health populations.
To continue the conversation, contact us.
