Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association’s Post

More than 1 in 3 Massachusetts residents have reported difficulty obtaining necessary health care in the prior 12 months, according to 2021 data from Massachusetts Health Quality Partners and the Center for Health Information and Analysis’s primary care survey. Finding a clinician to treat behavioral health needs tends to be even harder, a long-standing problem worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Boston Globe Editorial Board recently highlighted how some Massachusetts primary care practices are integrating behavioral health using the Collaborative Care model. This innovative approach brings primary care providers and behavioral health clinicians together to offer comprehensive care, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes. As behavioral health integration expands, measuring its funding and impact becomes increasingly important for states. FHC recently collaborated with states and the Milbank Memorial Fund to develop Recommendations for a Standardized State Methodology to Measure Clinical Behavioral Health Spending.  For more information, contact FHC Senior Consultant Vinayak Sinha, MPH. https://lnkd.in/gjrPB2xf.  

Although the demand for behavioral health services has significantly increased, many are struggling to obtain access. Recent studies have shown that for every 1,000 patients, there are less than 5 mental healthcare providers. However, things are looking up for patients struggling with mental health conditions, especially now that Talkspace is rolling out virtual therapy services to 13 million Medicare members! By the end of the year, they hope to expand to all 33 million members across the U.S. This is a monumental step in the right direction for the healthcare industry and mental health patients. #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealthMatters #Talkspace

**Disclaimer** The following opinions are mine alone. The tragic killing of UnitedHealthcare #CEO #BrianThompson and the subsequent online reactions underscore deep-seated anger and frustration with the #healthinsuranceindustry in #America. While violence is never the answer, this incident should serve as a wake-up call. We must address the systemic issues that fuel such desperation and resentment. The fact that major #healthinsurers are now scrubbing their websites of executive information speaks volumes about the fear and insecurity permeating the industry. It's a clear indication that they understand the public's outrage, even if they haven't publicly acknowledged it. This incident also highlights the urgent need for greater transparency and accountability in the #healthinsurancesector. #Insurers should be required to publicly disclose their #denialrates, allowing consumers to make informed decisions about their #medicalcoverage. The fact that #UnitedHealthcare's denial rates were only brought to light through a proprietary analysis and a #Senateinvestigation is unacceptable, in my opinion. We need to move beyond simply expressing shock and sadness at this tragedy. We need action. State constitutional amendments enshrining the right to quality, affordable #healthcare are a crucial step towards ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need. This would not only improve the #health and #wellbeing of countless individuals but also help to restore trust in a system that has become deeply broken. The time for change is now. We cannot allow fear and violence to dictate the future of #healthcareinAmerica. Let's work together to create a system that truly puts people first.

Xiaoying Zhu, a #NossalInstitute #PhD Candidate, looks into the complexities of #Healthcare insurance in China and shares interesting insights Take a read 👇👇👇 Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

I've read so many articles about the shooting of United Healthcare's CEO, and every one of them is calling for "a more rational and just healthcare system," but that won't happen until those in power see EVERY individual as worthy of good care that won't bankrupt them. That said, there are some interesting takeaways from this piece" 👉 "the US public remains mostly fond of nurses, its opinion of doctors and hospitals has been dropping" 👉 "Almost four in 10 Americans say they have skipped necessary medical care over the costs, and millions carry medical debts from past cases" 👉 "UnitedHealthcare has been the subject of recent ProPublica exposés for, among other examples, the company’s use of algorithms to deny claims for mental health services." 👉 "The US still has to decide that is in fact what it wants, as every other developed European and Asian country has. Many of their people have no concept of a world in which people go bankrupt over medical bills, something that is an everyday reality in the US." https://lnkd.in/eqHfiT8u

Financial toxicity is becoming the next chronic condition in the United States. It is commonly defined as the financial burden and distress on patients and their families due to high healthcare costs, affects approximately 137 million of adults in the U.S. The most common aspect reported by 43% being the psychological burden, such as worrying about the costs of care. #financialtoxicity #financialhealth #chroniccare #healthcarecosts https://lnkd.in/eSFDnHiq

Yet another study that shows CT's underinvestment in behavioral health care, leading to widespread workforce shortages. CT needs to comprehensively address reimbursement rates, enforce parity requirements, evaluate patient access, and strategically address workforce needs.

This is *why* we must stand up to this industry and raise awareness. As we wrote in the recent #OpenLetter (Link below), the marketing for #TroubledTeenIndustry programs, like many #wildernesstherapy programs in the United States, will tell you about their accreditation, level of qualification and training of staff, staff to student ratios, diet and exercise plans, stock #grouptherapy photos, program outcomes, and the empirically-support therapies informing their practice. Given the increased awareness about this industry from Netflix's #TheProgram, it is expected many programs concerned about being lumped in with America's trouble teen industry (aka bad press) are detailing why they aren't what they are and/or closing and rebranding. This is marketing post of a program describing how their program is not a troubled teen industry program. #BreakingCodeSilence, the "nonprofit that represents #children, #youth, and adults who are/were incarcerated in the U.S. troubled teen industry (TTI)" provides quite a different overview of this program here: https://lnkd.in/gyCfBiTz For example, "Many survivors have reported that Newport Academy programs are abusive. Allegations of #abuse and #neglect that have been reported by survivors of the programs include verbal/emotional abuse, medical neglect, undertrained/unqualified staff members, psychological #torture, communication resitrictions, lack of supervision leading to dangerous encounters between residents, and isolation tactics. Many survivors report that they have developed #PTSD as a result of their time at Newport Academy." The most common concerning feedback I have heard regarding our Open Letter has been whether generalising these wilderness therapy practices as abusive will do a disservice to people doing safe, dignified, and effective work, and the aligned modalities, such as nature-based, outdoor, and adventure therapies. I think of it the other way around. They are lumping themselves in with us...and we fell for it. No thanks. The troubled teen industry programs don't get to write the rules and distort language to show how they aren't the troubled teen industry. Before the end of the Open Letter, you will find 52 news articles using the word "wilderness therapy" published since January 1, 2024 - I have updated the list today. Only one...the New York Times article about therapists ditching the couch and one other is positive. Parents looking for safe troubled teen industry programs, click here: https://lnkd.in/g84Qi5_V Read, Share, & Sign Our Open Letter: https://lnkd.in/g9viAN5a To sign the letter, click here: https://lnkd.in/gRpgaEsi

I recently sat down with Behavioral Health Business to discuss the importance of behavioral healthcare navigation, the challenges care teams face and what better care coordination means. One way to address this challenge is with technology supported by care navigators specifically focused on guiding vulnerable populations to care. This is especially important given that the Medicaid and Medicare programs bear much of the cost associated with behavioral health care in the U.S., making this a key issue for federal and state budgets. To learn more, read the article https://bit.ly/3OCgihg

This isn't great news, but aligns with what I've been hearing a lot about the challenge in the North Carolina healthcare space. Costs for families are rising far quicker than the rest of the country. We have high quality care in our state, but it's increasingly becoming out of reach for those most at need. How can we help reverse this trend? I'm betting this is a large opportunity for the large hospitals and health plans to tackle. How do we lower premiums for our members? How do we continue to invest in areas like mental health, and preventative care to drive down larger unanticipated costs for our members? Anyone have other areas we could focus on to start?