TY - JOUR
AU - Y. Zhu
AU - P. Saynisch
AU - G. David
AU - W. Shatraw
AU - A. Mailloux
AU - A. Patel
AU - T. Dow
AU - A. Smith-McLallen
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a digital platform that connects primary care providers and commercially insured adults to outpatient behavioral health services on behavioral health utilization and total medical costs. STUDY DESIGN: A matched difference-in-differences approach was used to assess the effects of the intervention. Data were obtained from administrative medical claims for commercially insured adults. METHODS: The intervention group consisted of members assigned to 735 practices that adopted the platform, and the comparison group included members from 516 practices that did not. Propensity score matching was employed to balance baseline characteristics, and doubly robust difference-in-differences analysis was applied to estimate the intervention's effects on outpatient behavioral health visits, emergency department (ED) visits, inpatient admissions, and total medical costs over 18 months. RESULTS: The intervention group had a 68% higher likelihood of receiving outpatient behavioral health services. They were 35% less likely to have a behavioral health-related ED visit and 43% less likely to be admitted for behavioral health-related inpatient care. Despite increased outpatient utilization, total medical costs were significantly lower in the intervention group (-$27.63 per member per month at 18 months post intervention). CONCLUSIONS: Connecting commercially insured adults to outpatient behavioral health services via a digital platform improves utilization of behavioral health care while reducing costly emergency and inpatient services. These findings suggest that enhancing access to outpatient behavioral health services can lead to better health outcomes and greater cost efficiency in managed care populations.
AD - Independence Blue Cross, 1901 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Email: yifan.zhu@ibx.com.
AN - 41512258
BT - Am J Manag Care
C5 - HIT & Telehealth
CP - 12
DA - Dec
DO - 10.37765/ajmc.2025.89834
DP - NLM
IS - 12
JF - Am J Manag Care
LA - eng
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a digital platform that connects primary care providers and commercially insured adults to outpatient behavioral health services on behavioral health utilization and total medical costs. STUDY DESIGN: A matched difference-in-differences approach was used to assess the effects of the intervention. Data were obtained from administrative medical claims for commercially insured adults. METHODS: The intervention group consisted of members assigned to 735 practices that adopted the platform, and the comparison group included members from 516 practices that did not. Propensity score matching was employed to balance baseline characteristics, and doubly robust difference-in-differences analysis was applied to estimate the intervention's effects on outpatient behavioral health visits, emergency department (ED) visits, inpatient admissions, and total medical costs over 18 months. RESULTS: The intervention group had a 68% higher likelihood of receiving outpatient behavioral health services. They were 35% less likely to have a behavioral health-related ED visit and 43% less likely to be admitted for behavioral health-related inpatient care. Despite increased outpatient utilization, total medical costs were significantly lower in the intervention group (-$27.63 per member per month at 18 months post intervention). CONCLUSIONS: Connecting commercially insured adults to outpatient behavioral health services via a digital platform improves utilization of behavioral health care while reducing costly emergency and inpatient services. These findings suggest that enhancing access to outpatient behavioral health services can lead to better health outcomes and greater cost efficiency in managed care populations.
PY - 2025
SN - 1088-0224
SP - 752
EP - 759+
ST - Linking insured adults to behavioral health care: a cost-saving solution
T1 - Linking insured adults to behavioral health care: a cost-saving solution
T2 - Am J Manag Care
TI - Linking insured adults to behavioral health care: a cost-saving solution
U1 - HIT & Telehealth
U3 - 10.37765/ajmc.2025.89834
VL - 31
VO - 1088-0224
Y1 - 2025
ER -