Some Alternative Payment Models Are Improving Behavioral Health

Alternative payment models (APMs) are taking steps to improve behavioral health, but the models need more to make large strides, according to a study from the University of Washington and Harvard Medical School.

The study from published in JAMA Network Open last week detailed the findings of a literature review on 17 APM implementations in mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care.

The review found that APMs, which ranged from simple infrastructure payments to capitated reimbursements, were associated with improvements in process-of-care outcomes, reductions in mental health and SUD utilization, and decreases in spending.

However, information on whether the alternative payment models were effective at improving mental health and SUD clinical outcomes was largely missing from studies and other evaluations of the models.

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