Sep 15, 2022

Current Trends in Behavioral Health

A magnifying class icon hovers over a bar graph that shows information to study current trends in behavioral health

The behavioral health world is constantly evolving and changing. At Nextus Billing Solutions, we pride ourselves on being able to keep up with the latest trends. Keeping up with these trends allows us to serve you and your treatment facility better. The more we know, the better we can help! We also believe that it shows that we truly mean it when we say we want to treat your business like our own. We’ve gathered some information that is important and relevant to where the behavioral health industry is now. Check out these current trends to learn more:

COVID-19 Affects

It is no secret that the COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted the behavioral health industry. Since 2020, rates of anxiety and depression have gone up by more than 60%. There have also been rapidly increasing rates of chronic substance abuse. While these statistics are both alarming and saddening, they are also major eye-openers for treatment facilities. There’s a higher demand for treatment and a deeper need for care. For facilities, there is a greater sense of urgency around billing solutions and the need for accuracy. 

Government Regulation

When treatments for substance abuse and mental health became deemed essential health benefits that all insurers needed to cover, it completely changed the behavioral health world. The Department of Labor has also made efforts to improve enforcing the Addiction Equity Act a priority. Through these government regulations, treating substance abuse and mental health has been taken much more seriously, especially in 2022. This is great news for treatment centers, their patients and clients, and the overall well-being of their facilities. It is also a positive impact on their billing. 

Outpatient Care

As the demand for treatment rises, the strain on inpatient care also increases. This means that outpatient care is becoming more and more necessary to treat more patients. While it may seem like having inpatient care is more beneficial for billing and revenue, time is proving this is not the case. Fewer and fewer people struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues can stay in the facility for multiple days and are foregoing treatment altogether. Therefore, incorporating outpatient care is becoming more beneficial to both the patients and the treatment facilities. They can be seen and treated within a timeframe that matches their schedule while you and your facility can have a further reach. 

Medication Assisted Treatment

In 2022, medication-assisted treatment is more popular and necessary than ever. The stigma around medication is not eliminated but the negative narrative around it has changed to become more positive. The hope is that as time goes on and the demand for medication increases, insurance companies will begin to cover it more and more. As a behavioral health treatment facility, it is very important to keep up to date on this specific trend to better care for your patients and their ever-changing needs. 

At Nextus Billing Solutions, we always want to ensure that we are helping our clients to keep up with the latest trends within the behavioral health world. We will always strive to make sure that we keep ourselves up to date. This helps us to keep you informed as well as shows that we truly care about your business and want to treat it like it’s our own. For more information about Nextus Billing Solutions, please visit our website or schedule a consultation.