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Integrated care for both mind and body under one roof? It may sound pie in the sky, but it’s really happening at an award-winning healthcare center in Anchorage, recently featured in Politico. How does it work? And can it be replicated?

A shining example in Anchorage

“It’s a truism that the mind and body are connected, but the U.S. health care system has long treated them as separate — with separate doctors, separate hospitals, separate payment systems,” Politico reports (detailing the history of these health care “silos”).

The Southcentral Foundation, which runs a healthcare center for native Alaskans in Anchorage, is in the spotlight for successfully bridging the mind/body divide.

“In part because of their Alaska Native heritage, which puts a high value on spiritual health, the leaders of Southcentral recognized decades ago that behavioral health is tightly linked with bodily health,” Politico says. “So they became one of the early adopters of integrated care.”

At Southcentral, checkups include a mental health evaluation, and a patient’s primary care team includes on-site psychologists or social workers.

For one patient, Vera, profiled in the Politico piece, “accessing mental health treatment was as easy as going to her regular doctor, and there was no stigma attached: Her mental health services were provided at the same time and in the same place as other medical care, just like heading down the hall for an X-ray or a blood test.” Vera was sexually abused as a child and later diagnosed with major depression. She experienced suicidal thoughts and may not be alive today without the integrated care she received at Southcentral, she says.

Advantages of integrated care

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended integrating mental health care into primary care for decades. Here are some of the benefits of integrated mental/physical health care that WHO outlined back in 2001:

• Less stigmatization of patients and staff, as mental and behavioral disorders are being seen and managed alongside physical health problems
• Improved screening and treatment, in particular improved detection rates for patients presenting with vague somatic (physical/bodily) complaints which are related to mental and behavioral disorders
• The potential for improved treatment of the physical problems of those suffering from mental illness, and vice versa
• Better treatment of mental aspects associated with “physical” problems

A popular notion — and the roadblocks

Research has shown that Americans value physical health and mental health equally. Also, “nearly half of Americans think they have or have ever had a mental health condition (47 percent), yet fewer than two in five have received treatment (38 percent),” according to a 2015 survey by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

In a 2017 PatientsLikeMe poll of more than 2,000 members, support for the Affordable Care Act (or “Obamacare”) is highly popular among those living with mental health conditions, perhaps because the policy’s “parity” requirement means that insurers have to cover mental and physical health issues equally.

Politico reports that there’s broad support for physical/mental (behavioral) health integration in both the healthcare sector and in Congress.

The Southcentral Foundation won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in both 2011 and 2017 for its innovative, top-quality care (psst: 97% patient satisfaction) at a relatively low cost. Douglas Eby, vice president of medical services at Southcentral, says he is often invited to speak at conferences in Washington, D.C., because the Southcentral model is “popular with the whole political spectrum.” (What? Whoa.)

So what are the biggest hangups? Money and stigma.

The U.S. health care and insurance system is structured in such a way that doctors are paid more for (physical) procedures, and they can actually lose money by integrating mental health. The longtime stigma of mental illness extends into the provider space, where mental health clinicians and services are valued much less, dollar-for-dollar, than their “physical care” counterparts.

“Solving these problems will take more than money; it will require changing the culture of medicine,” Politico concludes.

On PatientsLikeMe, thousands of members are living with both physical and mental-health conditions. Join the community today to talk about topics like this with patients like you!

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Kimberly (firefly84) is part of the PatientsLikeMe 2016-2017 Team of Advisors and is living with autonomic neuropathy, a rare disease which forced an end to her career as a Registered Nurse. In part 1 of her insurance series, she tells the story of how eight of her doctors became out-of-network overnight, and how she navigated the system to replace those providers. In part 2, she shares tips and insights into what to know when dealing with insurance companies, what kind of documents you should take note of and how to understand your pharmacy benefits. Here’s what she shared…

Most of you have probably played the game “telephone” when you were younger. The first person whispers something to the next and it goes down the line of people until the last person says what they were told. 99% of the time, the result was absolutely nothing related to the original statement. Things got misconstrued, wording got changed, and as a result it was totally wrong. Well the same goes for health insurance and healthcare in general. The saying, “If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen,” is used all the time.

Unlocking good habits

Documentation is the key to healthcare. There are many times when we speak to someone who passes that message along to another person, and your original question has likely been reworded in some form. If you don’t remember anything else from this blog, here is what I want to plant in your head: Document! How many times have you called a doctor’s office or insurance company, had a conversation and then hung up the phone without giving it a second thought? How many times have you taken notes during conversations or written a summary afterwards regarding the content? My guess for many of us would be zero, zip, zilch, nada! You’ve always assumed that the information that was passed along would be correct and that whoever was answering your questions was documenting everything you said.

Start making it a habit of keeping a notebook for your healthcare conversations. That way if there is ever a question of what was discussed, you can refer back to it. If possible, use patient portals if they are available through your doctor or insurance company. Most, if not all of them have messaging features, which is a simple way to ensure things are documented. My practice has always been to attempt to send messages for non-urgent matters. This can also be used for evidence if anything becomes a legal issue.

Knowing your coverage inside and out

No matter what insurance you have, it is essential to know what doctors and facilities are covered. If you have private or employer-based insurance, who is in your network? Are there differences in your in-network vs. out-of-network coverage?

A handy place to find this information is on your insurance company’s website. Most companies have a link that lets you search for doctors and facilities. Your insurance will have your PCP (primary care physician) listed already – make sure that it is correct and update it if there is a change.

Do you remember the pile of paperwork that you received when you got your current insurance? Did you read it? I mean REALLY read it! If you’re like many consumers, you probably skimmed through your Summary of Benefits and were able to see a brief overview of what your deductible, copay, premiums, and out-of-pocket maximum amount were. It also described the difference between coverage for in and out-of-network coverage.

The Certificate of Coverage is going to be your “bible,” if you will. It is the 70+ page document that goes into every detail you ever wanted to know about your coverage. This is a document that I highly recommend you read. If you ever have doubts or questions about anything, this is where the fine print is at. It also will address how to file an appeal or grievance.

Taking a closer look at the types of insurance

Maybe it’s time to look for something more affordable or perhaps you are just coming off someone else’s plan. No matter the circumstances, insurance is something that can be very confusing. Premiums, deductibles, copays, blah, blah, blah. What does it mean? That’s what I can imagine going through your head. Brace yourself for a tidal wave of information.

If you’re wondering what the different types of insurance are, you’re in luck. It’s time for a bare necessities lesson (minus the singing and dancing). Check out this handy one page I wrote that shows the types of public and private insurance available.

Understanding your pharmacy options

Often there will be a Pharmacy Rider, which will list the tiers or classifications of medications for coverage. A rule of thumb is that a generic drug is always less expensive than a brand name. Some patients are unable to tolerate generics or experience a different response than with the brand name, if that’s the case you can ask your provider to file a prior authorization form with your insurance company showing you’ve tried generic alternatives of the drug which have not had the desired effect, and you’ll need to be prescribed the brand name version only. Once again, this information can usually be found in the certificate of coverage or by simply calling customer service.

In addition to your pharmacy coverage, there are many programs available for patients with private or employer-based insurance. Almost all pharmaceutical companies have financial assistance available or will offer copay cards for newer medications. This is the case very frequently for injectable medications.

Also, don’t hesitate to do an internet search. There are a lot of free drug discount cards available. However, many of them cannot be used in conjunction with insurance. That is a detail that you will have to clarify.

I truly hope that this blog has been helpful. There are so many different things that go on within a single policy for one patient that it can be overwhelming. Always ask if there is ever doubt, and DOCUMENT. Don’t play the telephone game!

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