简而言之: Expect another busy year in the behavioral health space.
The topic of mental and behavioral health (MBH) care entered the national conversation in dramatic fashion during the pandemic, as the circumstances around COVID-19 led to unprecedented demand for services, 暴露了长期存在的访问问题, 加剧了劳动力短缺. But the past several years have also demonstrated the effectiveness of telemedicine in MBH, 减少了MBH护理的耻辱感, and seen well-funded nontraditional players enter the field.
As part of our series on Mental Health Awareness Month, here are five trends we expect to see across the next year as the provision of MBH services continues to rapidly evolve.
1. 私人股本 (PE) Firms Will Continue Focused Growth and Consolidation:
PE groups continue to drive consolidation and growth in the MBH space. 整体投资活动 2023年初的增速比前几年要慢, but continued consolidations and de novo growth under existing platforms are expected to increase throughout the remainder of the year.
We see three key MBH subsectors as ripe for PE investment in 2023:
- 自闭症: 自闭症领域的交易已经完成 2022年下降10%, in part due to staffing concerns and inflation; however, such effects may lead to increased independent practice sales to PE-backed platforms in 2023 as these practices seek financial options to help keep their doors open.
- Digital mental health (especially with a pediatric/adolescent focus): 2021年,PE集团投资 $3.10亿美元投入精神健康事业 in the digital space—representing one-third of all digital health funding that year. Given the dependence on hybrid care models developed as a result of COVID-19, 预计数字医疗投资将继续.
- SUD和阿片类药物治疗方案(OTPs): SUD/OTP programs are being viewed by payers as a potential front-runner for enhanced value-based care models—making them a prime target for PE firms due to the potential for shared risk and enhanced returns.
2. Managed Care Negotiations Will Require Differentiated Value Offerings:
在过去的几年里, payers have insourced management of their MBH networks in an effort to monitor utilization and create opportunities to comanage MBH and physical healthcare needs for their members. 这样的付费公司包括Anthem,通过它最近的业务 收购Beacon运行状况选项, as well as numerous local Blues plans insourcing from Magellan (e.g., 独立蓝十字 [IBX] in Pennsylvania, AmeriHealth NJ [AHNJ], BCBSTX). 以他们的内包为基础, payers have begun standardizing historically deflated MBH reimbursement by implementing statewide fee schedules and dwindling carveout opportunities. Payer price transparency data is expected to accelerate the shift to value-based reimbursement models for MBH services. MBH providers who want to secure reimbursement increases should be focused on their differentiated value proposition and tracking measurable outcomes.
3. Integration of Primary and MBH Care Will Increase:
规管机构(e).g., HRSA, SAMHSA) and individual payers have developed new care models to support prevention, 上游识别, and treatment of MBH conditions before patients experience a crisis. While much of this work is in its infancy—and would benefit from continued provider/payer partnerships—models that promote colocation and collaboration between primary care and MBH providers will lessen downstream burden on emergency rooms and hospitals.
4. MBH设施现代化将继续进行:
新投资, MBH-focused facilities and programs has been significant over the last few years, 没有减少的迹象.
- UTHealth 开了一家精神病院 in March 2022 to meet demand for both care and provider training.
- Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Virginia 耗资2.24亿美元开设了儿童馆 in April 2023 with plans for pediatric outpatient and inpatient services.
Organizations aren’t just building new MBH facilities—they’re updating existing ones. Historical underfunding for MBH for existing structures, compounded by a 精神科病床的流失 over the past two decades, has led to these environments being passed over for major renovations. 我们期望看到一个巨大的运动 医疗保健设计专业人员 为了纠正这个问题.
5. Nontraditional 合作伙伴ships Will Become the Norm:
MBHbet8娱乐应被视为一个连续体. No one provider, payer, or program should or can serve every role that is needed. Effective MBH services will bridge traditional providers (e.g., health systems, physician offices) with community groups (e.g., 危机应对小组, 无家可归者收容所, 倡导组织, peer mentoring groups) and PE-backed or for-profit providers (e.g., 阿片治疗方案, 饮食失调项目, 物质使用障碍设施, app-based tele/mental health services) to efficiently craft care networks that support patients with MBH conditions and avoid unnecessary interventions. Health systems have led the way by exploring new business arrangements (e.g., joint ventures) with traditional MBH-focused providers such as Acadia. Organizations that are thinking about their portfolio of MBH services and honing in on areas where they can build efficient, integrated care will see improvements in clinical quality and financial sustainability.
Establishing trust between payers and providers is the first step in resolving the MBH crisis.
编辑: 马特杂粮面包
2023年5月25日出版