Breaking the Stigma: Why Mental Health Must Be a Priority in Value-Based Care
When it comes to value-based care, there’s often a laser focus on reducing hospitalizations, managing chronic diseases, and optimizing costs—but mental health continues to sit on the sidelines. And that’s a costly oversight.Here’s the reality:
While Medicare Fee-for-Service allows for 20 mental health visits annually, mental health is still treated as a secondary concern in many healthcare systems. MSOs and ACOs continue to funnel resources into physical medicine while mental health remains underfunded, despite its undeniable impact on patient outcomes and overall costs.
But here’s the catch—you can’t treat the body without treating the mind.
The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Mental Health
Patients struggling with unmanaged mental health conditions often have:
- Higher rates of hospital readmissions
- Lower medication adherence
- Increased emergency room utilization
- Worse chronic disease management outcomes
In short: mental health affects everything—and ignoring it is a recipe for rising costs and poorer outcomes.
Even though the system allows for 20 visits per year, many patients barely scratch the surface, leading to gaps in care that eventually translate into higher long-term costs.
Consider this example:
Maria, a 67-year-old with diabetes and hypertension, struggled with undiagnosed depression. Her ACO focused heavily on managing her blood sugar levels and medication adherence but overlooked the emotional struggles she faced post-retirement. The result? Missed appointments, poor medication adherence, and eventually, a costly ER visit. It wasn’t until a care manager noticed subtle behavioral changes through data trends that Maria was referred to mental health services. With consistent counseling—using her full allotment of 20 visits—her health stabilized, and ER visits dropped entirely.
The Shift Toward Digital Mental Health—But Is It Enough?
The rise of digital mental health platforms—teletherapy, mental health apps, and AI-driven support—has been a game changer. It’s removed barriers, improved access, and provided patients with 24/7 resources.
But here’s the challenge: Data silos.
Most digital mental health tools operate independently of a patient’s broader care plan. Without proper integration, behavioral health data never reaches care teams, leaving critical insights out of care decisions.
Real-life insight:
One ACO utilizing AaNeel’s platform integrated a digital mental health app into their patient workflows. A patient flagged as low-risk in physical health metrics triggered a red flag due to mental health data showing signs of social isolation and depression. Without the integrated system, care teams would have missed the early indicators. This proactive approach helped prevent a crisis and improved the patient’s overall care plan.
AaNeel’s Approach: Integrated Mental Health for Value-Based Care
At AaNeel, we believe that mental health can’t be a separate conversation—it has to be woven into the full fabric of care coordination.
Here’s how we’re helping ACOs, IPAs, and MSOs make mental health a priority:
- Integrated Behavioral Health Data
We bring mental health into the bigger picture by embedding behavioral health data into the broader care plan. No more siloed information—just a complete view of each patient’s health. - Analytics That Identify At-Risk Patients
Using predictive analytics, AaNeel identifies patients who may be at risk of mental health crises, non-adherence, or readmission—giving care teams the data they need to intervene early. - Real-Time Insights for Care Teams
Our platform delivers real-time mental health insights directly at the point of care, ensuring that behavioral health is part of every patient encounter. - Seamless Integration with Digital Mental Health Platforms
Already using teletherapy or mental health apps? We can integrate those tools directly into your existing workflows, ensuring behavioral health data is fully leveraged in care planning.
A Mentally Sound Patient = Better Outcomes, Lower Costs
It’s simple: Patients who are mentally sound are more likely to:
- Manage their chronic conditions
- Stick to medication regimens
- Engage in preventive care
- Avoid unnecessary hospital visits
In value-based care, that translates to better outcomes and lower costs—the very goals we’re all working toward.
Consider this:
James, a 72-year-old with chronic heart failure, had frequent hospital readmissions. Care managers using AaNeel’s platform noticed increased stress indicators and social withdrawal in his engagement data. With proactive mental health support added to his care plan, readmissions decreased by 40%, and his overall health stabilized—all without increasing physical medicine spending.
It’s Time to Prioritize Mental Health in Value-Based Care
The healthcare system gives us 20 visits—it’s time to use them wisely. But more importantly, it’s time to move beyond checking the box on mental health and start integrating it into the core of patient care.
With AaNeel, mental health isn’t an afterthought—it’s a critical piece of the puzzle in achieving whole-person care.
Ready to integrate mental health into your value-based care strategy?
🔗Request a demo now!
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