By: Christopher A. Parrella, Esq., CPC, CHC, CPCO The CMS article discusses three key behavioral health services covered by Medicare, which are crucial for improving patient outcomes. The services include Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) Services, Psychotherapy for Crisis, and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Screening & Treatment. Each service has specific billing codes and criteria, and they aim to address mental, behavioral, and psychiatric health effectively. The article emphasizes the role of these services in enhancing primary care and providing urgent support in crisis situations, as well as the screening and treatment of OUD. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to incorporate these services into their practice to better serve Medicare patients. The CMS article outlines three key Medicare-covered behavioral health services:

• Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) Services: This involves a comprehensive approach to treating physical and behavioral health in a primary care setting. It emphasizes continuous care through a team-based approach.
• Psychotherapy for Crisis: This service addresses immediate crisis situations, providing therapy to individuals experiencing acute mental health symptoms.
• Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Screening & Treatment: It focuses on early detection and comprehensive treatment for opioid use disorder, including medication-assisted treatment options.

If you have any questions or require further clarification on integrating Medicare’s Behavioral Health Services into your practice, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Parrella Health Law for a complimentary consultation. Our team is dedicated to assisting healthcare providers in navigating the complexities of healthcare law and compliance. Christopher Parrella, ESQ, CPC, CHC, CPCO, is the founding partner of Parrella Health Law in Boston, Mass. The firm focuses exclusively on healthcare defense and compliance matters. Chris also travels the country on behalf of a wide range of healthcare organizations, lecturing on a variety of health care enforcement and compliance topics. Chris is one of a handful of health care attorney’s that are also Certified Professional Coders (CPC) and is a member of the AAPC’s National Legal Advisory Board and Ethics Committee.  He is also a Certified Professional Compliance Officer (CPCO) and Certified in Health Care Compliance (CHC.)