New federal regulations are facilitating better integration of physical and behavioral health services for the Medicaid population.
Two developments, in particular, are advancing this integration: the 2016 Medicare managed care rule and a 2016 rule implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Together, these rules encourage providers to perform comprehensive assessments of their patients, increase flexibility for providers in how they use Medicaid payments, and pave the way for improvements in the use of information technology that foster better integration of physical and behavioral medical care.
A new issue brief from the Commonwealth Fund presents in greater detail how these new regulations, in combination with other legislation and regulations, are facilitating a more integrated approach to the delivery of physical and behavioral care to the Medicaid managed care population. Go here to see the brief “Assessing Changes to Medicaid Managed Care Regulations: Facilitating Integration of Physical and Behavioral Health Care.”