Netsmart, an industry-leading provider of healthcare technology and services for community-based providers, announces support for the launch of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model. The new IBH Model is designed to enhance access to services, quality of care and outcomes for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The model will also promote health information technology (HIT) capacity building through infrastructure payments and other activities.
“Healthcare technology is critical to the success of the IBH Model care delivery framework, with its complexities of care coordination, care management, referral management and the need for real-time data to support effective diagnosis and treatment,” said Kevin Scalia, Executive Vice President of Netsmart. “This announcement signals a major step toward the integration of physical health and mental health for a significant number of Americans who have behavioral and physical health co-morbidities.”
The IBH model focuses on community-based practices for Medicaid and/or Medicare beneficiaries, with aligned payment models. CMS will initially award funding to up to eight states to implement the model through their state Medicaid agencies. Community-based behavioral health providers will be responsible for screenings, assessments, treatment within their scope, and facilitating closed loop referrals to primary care providers and other community-based resources. The model’s four pillars include care integration, interprofessional care teams for ongoing management, promoting health equity, and enhancing health information technology for improved data sharing and quality reporting.
“We couldn’t be more supportive of this model, as our clients have been at the forefront of this work for years,” said David Strocchia, SVP & Managing Director of Human Services, Netsmart. “Our clients continue to grow towards a future where behavioral health, physical health and health-related social needs are fully prioritized and addressed.”
Netsmart has advocated for more than a decade on behalf of its human services and post-acute clients and providers across the country, for legislation and regulations that enable integrated care for people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Strocchia emphasized the roots of the IBH model in initiatives like Meaningful Use and the SUPPORT Act of 2018, which provided a framework and funding mechanism for behavioral health IT structures. As a founding member, Netsmart has actively contributed to the ongoing advocacy of the Behavioral Health IT Coalition, a group of national stakeholders driving policy and funding perspectives for whole-person care.
To learn more about the IBH model and related regulatory updates, register for the upcoming webinar on Thursday, March 28 at 1 p.m. ET. The informative session will feature Netsmart leaders Krista Logan, Senior Regulatory Solution Strategist and Neal Tilghman, Senior Director & GM of Addictions and Mental Health. The webinar will cover the IBH model’s impact on the human services landscape, insights into the upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and an overview of other regulatory changes such as the Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule, the 42 CFR Part Two Final Rule, and the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act.
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