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FAIR Health Analyzes Claims to Determine Behavioral Health Trends from 2007-2017 Claim lines with behavioral health diagnoses increased 108 percent over 10 years, rising to 2.7 percent of all medical claim lines in 2017 from 1.3 percent of all medical claim lines in 2007, according to a new report from not-for-profit organization FAIR Health. Analyzing data from its database of more than 28 billion private healthcare claim records, FAIR Health found that in 2007 and 2017, major depressive disorder (MDD) was the most common diagnosis in the distribution of claim lines with mental health diagnoses, but its share of the distribution fell to 26 percent in 2017 from 28 percent in 2007. Meanwhile, opioid dependence overtook alcohol dependence to occupy the largest share of claim lines with substance use disorder diagnoses, the report said. Although opioid dependence claim lines increased overall during that 10-year period (1,180 percent, growing to 0.252 percent of all medical claim lines from 0.016 percent), they fell 50 percent between 2015 and 2017, the study showed. “FAIR Health conducted this study to provide a strong foundation of key indicators of behavioral health services rendered to the commercial healthcare population,” the report said. “We look forward to providing additional layers to this analysis, including the nature of the services rendered, the type of venue where services were rendered (including telehealth access) and the specialties of the healthcare professionals providing the services.” FAIR Health is a national, independent organization that collects data for and manages the nation’s largest database of privately billed health insurance claims and has Medicare parts A, B, and D claims data from 2013 to the present. Lancet Study Identifies Alcohol Use as a Leading Risk Factor for Global Disease Burden Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for global disease burden, and data on alcohol exposure are crucial to evaluate progress in achieving global, non-communicable disease goals, says a recent modelling study published in The Lancet. The study presents estimates on the main indicators of alcohol exposure in 189 countries from 1990 through 2017 and includes forecasts up to the year 2030. “Based on these data, global goals for reducing the harmful use of alcohol are unlikely to be achieved,” the study’s abstract noted, “and known effective and cost-effective policy measures should be implemented to reduce alcohol exposure. The Joint Commission Releases Standards FAQ Details on Suicide Risk Reduction The Joint Commission this week released a series of Standards FAQ Details related to suicide risk reduction. This series of six Standards FAQ Details center on hospital emergency departments, and include assessing suicide risk, monitoring patients, ligature-resistant requirements, ligature risks that cannot be removed, and safe rooms. NABH Submits Comments to MACPAC on Regulatory Environment in IMDs NABH on Friday sent comments to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission about the regulatory environment for Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMDs). In it, NABH highlighted its recent regulatory report, The High Cost of Compliance: Assessing the Regulatory Burden on Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities, and discussed how the bulk of regulatory costs imposed on the nation’s inpatient psychiatric facilities relate to B-tags and ligature-risk requirements. “Psychiatric providers care first and foremost about keeping patients safe, which includes protecting patients from self-harm or suicidal behaviors,” NABH President and CEO Mark Covall wrote to MACPAC. “However, it’s not feasible for providers to create “ligature-free” environments that are completely devoid of potential ligature-attachment points,” he continued. “Nonetheless, some surveyors demand major changes to psychiatric facilities’ infrastructure or staffing to address perceived issues that carry a minimal risk for patient harm. In our study, NABH facilities reported that, on average, it costs more than $15,600 per psychiatric bed in physical plant and equipment costs to address ligature-related issues.” Read the full letter here. Thank You for Supporting Mental Health Month NABH thanks all its members who helped support our Access to Care campaign during Mental Health Month throughout May. Launched in March, NABH’s Access to Care initiative focuses on two major challenges that too often prevent providers from offering patients a full range of behavioral healthcare services: unjust managed care contracts and countless regulations. Please continue to share our Access to Care video, Board resolution, and regulatory report with those who haven’t seen it yet. NABH Wants to Hear from Your Organization! NABH is eager to feature our member organizations’ good work and innovative programs to help other NABH members learn about new care and business models and practices. Please share with us a best practice or new program that your organization uses to improve patient care, manage your workforce, streamline costs, or all of the above. We will feature your story—along with a photo or other images you provide—in the Member Profile section of our website. If you have a story to share, please contact Cemal Ozgur at cemal@nabh.org for details. As always, thank you for your good work and commitment to advancing NABH’s mission and vision! For questions or comments about CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.