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Behavioral Health

Better care through behavioral health

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is committed to working with providers, employers, government and health systems to improve the overall health of our members and transform the health care system. We are focused on improving quality, access and value, helping our members get the care they need.

Behavioral health concerns, which include both mental health and substance use disorders, are common. They must be addressed together with physical health as a foundation for treating the whole person. We are working to make health care better, simpler and more affordable by improving access to behavioral health services.  

4 out of the top 10 national health concerns are related to behavioral health.1

Our strategy in three parts:

1. Integration

Integrate behavioral health with primary care in order to treat the whole person, mind and body. Integrated care improves access and can improve whole health, especially for individuals with co-occurring physical and behavioral health conditions.

2. Optimization

Optimize our provider network to improve access and quality of care across the entire spectrum of behavioral disorders. We are redefining payment methods and recruiting new providers to deliver effective behavioral health care that ultimately will reduce avoidable use of emergency departments, inpatient units and residential treatment centers.

3. Innovation

Innovate through the development of best-in-class solutions to solve the most pressing issues in behavioral health.

Bringing value to health care

How will we integrate, optimize and innovate for better care through behavioral health?

  • Give providers the flexibility to deliver value 
  • Foster better care coordination
  • Deliver incentives for cost-efficient innovations and prevention
  • Guide decisions with data on population health
  • Focus on the patient experience

Outreach strategy: education and advocacy

One of the ways we support behavioral health in our community is with outreach campaigns to members, employers and providers. These campaigns aim to build awareness, decrease stigma and promote access to high-quality behavioral health services.

Example: This infographic about behavioral health and the impact of COVID-19 (PDF) is part of a campaign to provide employers with tools.

Created by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), it provides relevant data with context that can help employers better understand the scope of behavioral health concerns and the needs of their employees during this challenging time.

Behavioral Health: A Payer-Based Strategy For Improving Access And Quality During COVID-19 And Beyond

Published on healthaffairs.org

Shattering the fourth wall: The shared behavioral health experiences

Published on medcitynews.com

"Working Mom Wednesday's" Finding Balance!

Published on thelightnc.com

Disclosures:

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