The connection between mental and physical health is undeniable. Depression worsens diabetes outcomes. Anxiety complicates hypertension management. Substance use derails chronic disease control. Yet historically, behavioral health and primary care have operated in silos. Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) changes that—and the business case is compelling.
The Clinical Reality
Studies show that 70% of primary care visits have a behavioral health component. Patients with chronic conditions are 2-3 times more likely to have depression. Untreated mental health issues drive up healthcare costs through emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and poor disease management.
When you integrate behavioral health into your practice, you can identify and treat these conditions early—before they spiral into crises that hurt patients and cost the healthcare system billions.
The Revenue Opportunity
Medicare recognizes the value of BHI and reimburses practices that deliver these services. The key billing codes include:
- **99492** (Initial psychiatric collaborative care): ~$163 for the first 70 minutes in the initial month
- **99493** (Subsequent psychiatric collaborative care): ~$129 for 60 minutes in subsequent months
- **99494** (Additional 30 minutes): ~$68 for each additional 30 minutes
For a practice following 50 BHI patients, that's potentially $75,000-$100,000 in additional annual revenue. And that's before you factor in improved outcomes on value-based contracts.
Implementation Considerations
Successful BHI requires the right infrastructure: screening tools to identify patients who need services, care managers trained in behavioral health support, and consulting psychiatrists to guide medication decisions. It's a team-based model that extends your primary care practice's capabilities.
The good news is you don't have to build this from scratch. Partners like Hoss-Kick can provide the care management support, clinical protocols, and technology platform to launch BHI efficiently.
Patient Impact
Beyond the financials, BHI fundamentally improves care. Patients get help where they're already comfortable—their primary care practice—without the stigma and access barriers of traditional mental health referrals. Response times are faster. Care is more coordinated. Outcomes improve across both mental and physical conditions.
Getting Started
If you're considering BHI, start by assessing your patient population. How many have documented mental health conditions? How many are you screening at routine visits? The need is likely greater than you realize.
Then consider your resources. Do you have staff who can take on care management roles? Can you access psychiatric consultation? Technology that supports the CoCM model?
For most practices, a partnership approach makes sense—leveraging external expertise while building internal capabilities over time. The key is to start, learn, and scale.
