Providers, government agencies, researchers, and other stakeholders continue to seek ways to reduce the nation’s opioid epidemic. In recent months, electronic prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS) has gained more attention as a potential tool. What is EPCS? Many physical and behavioral health providers participate in electronic prescribing of medications, also known as e-prescriptions or e-prescribing.…
Across the United States, many communities have limited access to quality behavioral healthcare, even as demand rises. The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) found that demand for addiction counselors alone may increase anywhere between 21 to 38 percent by 2030, creating a shortage of these professionals. As mental health awareness grows and the opioid…
Opioid misuse, alcoholism, and other forms of substance use disorder (SUD) continue to impact communities across the country. Telehealth and remote monitoring have become credible options for addiction treatment, especially for individuals in underserved locations. Current Addiction Treatment Needs Addiction treatment is facing many challenges across the United States, including: Healthcare worker shortages throughout the…
Florida may be the Sunshine State, but it still faces difficulties that include widespread addiction and a shortage of mental-health clinicians. Here are some of the recent developments affecting behavioral health in Florida. Most Florida Children Not Getting Mental Health Help Although nearly 400,000 children in Florida need behavioral healthcare, as many as 55 percent…
“I was taught to keep my notes vague.” I hear this all the time… I was taught exactly the same thing! I hear this one, too: “If you don’t accept insurance, your notes don’t really matter.” One of my favorite professors, an expert on meditation and expert witness appearances, emphatically told my class, “You never…
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, provides for expanded Medicaid coverage for low-income Americans. So far, 36 states and the District of Columbia have adopted Medicaid expansion. Current State of U.S. Medicaid Expansion ACA offers financial incentives for adopting the Medicaid expansion, but courts have ruled that the decision to expand Medicaid…
A new study suggests that Medicaid expansion can give low-income individuals better access to buprenorphine for opioid addiction. One concern about expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is that it will give patients increased access to addicting opioid medications. The new study results, published in Health Affairs, could help alleviate these concerns. Addiction…
A growing number of companies in various industries now employ remote workers, reducing workplace expenses, expanding opportunities, and even increasing productivity. Behavioral health is no exception to this movement, with the rise of telehealth allowing therapists and other clinicians to see patients remotely. The growing popularity of telehealth among both patients and providers makes it…
One main goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is increased insurance coverage for low-income Americans. The ACA aimed to achieve this goal partly through the expansion of Medicaid to most U.S. adults at 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Although there are financial incentives for adopting the Medicaid expansion, the decision is still…
The early adoption of telemedicine, a term often used interchangeably with telehealth, has surpassed the early adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), survey results show. Telehealth is even finding favor with specialists who experience significant burnout. Telehealth platform company American Well reported at the ATA19 telehealth conference that physician adoption of telehealth increased 340 percent…