Payers nationwide are rapidly growing their behavioral health provider networks by actively recruiting, increasing payments and training primary care physicians to care for more behavioral health conditions, according to a new survey from AHIP.
The 14-question survey was released Aug. 4 and sent to AHIP members that offer commercial plans. Responses were received from May to June from plans representing 95 million members.
Eight key takeaways:
- About 180 million Americans have employer-sponsored insurance that covers their mental healthcare.
- All plans cover telehealth for behavioral services.
- The quantity of in-network behavioral health providers has increased an average of 48 percent over the last three years.
- Over the last three years, the number of providers that can prescribe medication assisted therapy for substance use disorders has grown 114 percent.
- Applied behavioral analysis specialists saw the largest growth over the past three years, increasing 135 percent. Psychologists increased the least over the same period, growing just 11 percent.
- To find more providers, 78 percent of payers have increased payments and 89 percent are actively recruiting in mental health.
- Most payers (72 percent) are training primary care physicians to provide care to patients with mild or moderate behavioral conditions.
- Most payers (83 percent) help members find open behavioral health appointments.