Behavioral Health is another term used to describe Mental Health by  psychologists and psychiatrists. North Carolina follows the same set of laws for behavioral health as the rest of the states.  

Legal position in North Carolina:

• Mental Health “Parity” or Equal Coverage Laws

These laws state that there should be no discrimination between the coverage provided for serious mental illnesses, substance abuse, and other physical disorders. Parity entails that the benefits such as copayments, deductibles, visit limits, lifetime and annual limits are to be offered in the same capacity as they are  to patients with medical issues. 

• Minimum Mandated Mental Health Benefit Laws

Patients undergoing Behavioral Health treatment for serious mental illness, substance abuse, or a combination of both, are entitled to insurance coverage to  a certain extent.  These are not taken into consideration as full, due to the presence of some ambiguities between  mental health issues and other medical issues.  

• Mental Health “Mandated Offering Laws”

Two approaches are formulated through these laws;   firstly the coverage is offered for mental illnesses, serious mental illnesses, and substance abuse. These claims can either be accepted or rejected. Secondly, mandated laws require, that when offering benefits to patients with behavioral health issues, the concept of parity with other medical issues be kept in mind.

Current statistics of Behavioral Health

Based on the 2015’s Behavioral Health Barometer Report on North Carolina, the percentage of serious mental illnesses among 18 or older individuals is the same as the national level. Similarly, people who received treatment against mental illnesses progress 1.3% better than the rest of the states.

Since the launch of the EHR funding program,  The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Office of Rural Health (ORH) and Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) have mandated that starting from  May 1^st, 2018,  behavioral health physicians must report performance to the above organizations. Even the physicians that haven’t adopted an EHR system are required to purchase one.

An interesting question arises  while  searching  for a perfect behavioral health EHR; what are the key features an EHR  must have in order for a physician to streamline his workflows?  A wrong decision can lead to the purchase of an inappropriate EHR system that may  disrupt your practice rather than providing the desired value. Poor decisions can increase cost, worsen physician burnout and reduce patient satisfaction; while at the same time,  creating operational bottle necks that keep you  from efficiently performing your day to day work.

With the June 1^st 2019, deadline fast approaching , I have compiled a list of the following must have features to ensure continuing success:

• SMART Cloud and HIPAA compliant subscription based system
• Integrated Practice Management and EHR system
• An All-in-one package with free upgrades and no price increase guarantee
• Progressive, stable and mature company
• Top rating by KLAS research
• Built-in online payments, eFax, text alerts, eRx and appointment scheduler etc.
• Enterprise scheduling
• Intelligent billing with rules engine

 Market Research should be conducted by the physician

Conduct market research  through credible websites  which appear on the first webpage. The information collected  should highlight all the crucial elements of an EHR vendor such as the pricing, features, benefits and after sales service. In-depth knowledge of the product is necessary for a thorough product analysis.

Ask for a demonstration

The vendor should be contacted through an email  which includes your detailed requirements. After the demonstration has been completed, add a particular vendor’s capabilities in the shortlisted vendors list and score each item based on your actual needs.

Research shortlisted vendors

Research vendor information from credible sources, like KLAS research and Black Book rating among others. It can help you understand a vendor’s value proposition in a structured format. Consult fellow physicians regarding the product, service quality, pricing and credibility of the vendor. Cross out unneeded features through this process and come up with a final selection of what is absolutely required.

The following questions must be asked  of the vendors:

• Is it a cloud based system, and can we use any browser to access the system?
• Can it work on Mac? (Even if you don’t need Mac support. Products running on Mac utilize newer technology)
• Is it an integrated system? Does it include a PM, an EHR and a patient portal?
• Does the vendor offer in-house RCM services? (even if you don’t need it, vendors with in house RCM services should have a more mature billing system)
• Do they offer iPad and iPhone support?
• Do they offer specialty support?
• Can they guarantee the price for the next five years?
• Do they include support for the upcoming technologies, such as: Artificial Intelligence, Wearable technology etc.
• Is the user interface intuitive? Do they offer all-in-one features and pricing?
• How much time would be required for implementation? And most importantly, will the migration be free of cost? In most cases, it is the vendors’ responsibility to migrate the data from the previous system to the new system.