The Greater Houston Behavioral Health Affordable Care Act Initiative (BHACA)
The Network of Behavioral Health Providers (NBHP) and Mental Health America of Greater Houston (MHA) committed to work together to assist providers in Greater Houston/Harris County with meeting the requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). To that end, NBHP developed a multi-faceted project that provided education, technical assistance, and ongoing support to behavioral health providers in the Greater Houston area on key operational and administrative mandates of the ACA.
While most media attention focused on the enormous changes the new law meant for American consumers and their health care provision, the law’s requirements for health providers to meet in order to provide and be compensated for that care were also massive. The vast majority of preparation work and funding to assist providers in meeting these new obligations did not include mental health and substance abuse providers. The goal of the Greater Houston Behavioral Health Affordable Care Act (BHACA) Initiative was to provide such technical assistance to local providers.
The Project: Over three years, the BHACA Initiative developed a range of educational and technical assistance opportunities for Houston-area mental health and substance abuse providers in a variety of formats from large informational meetings to one-on-one personalized training's and continuing follow-up. NBHP developed a “grassroots approach” plan for addressing the very specific needs that providers had as they prepared for and implemented their mental health and substance abuse programs under the new law. The four mandate areas in which NBHP created technical assistance initiatives were:
Area 1: Enhancing and Increasing Delivery of Integrated Health Care (IHC) - Click here.
Area 2: Maximizing Third Party Funding Streams Revenue: Insurance Credentialing/Billing & Coding - Click here.
Area 3: Adopting a certified electronic health record (EHR) - Click here.
Area 4: Developing outcome-based evaluations - Click here.
The project targeted Greater Houston/Harris County behavioral health care provider organizations, particularly those providing care to under-served populations. Community educational activities were open to all providers. Individual technical assistance for any or all of the targeted areas was provided to NBHP members as a membership benefit.
Additional Information on the BHACA Initiative
Community Events
BHACA Blast: Bimonthly Newsletter
BHACA Blog
While most media attention focused on the enormous changes the new law meant for American consumers and their health care provision, the law’s requirements for health providers to meet in order to provide and be compensated for that care were also massive. The vast majority of preparation work and funding to assist providers in meeting these new obligations did not include mental health and substance abuse providers. The goal of the Greater Houston Behavioral Health Affordable Care Act (BHACA) Initiative was to provide such technical assistance to local providers.
The Project: Over three years, the BHACA Initiative developed a range of educational and technical assistance opportunities for Houston-area mental health and substance abuse providers in a variety of formats from large informational meetings to one-on-one personalized training's and continuing follow-up. NBHP developed a “grassroots approach” plan for addressing the very specific needs that providers had as they prepared for and implemented their mental health and substance abuse programs under the new law. The four mandate areas in which NBHP created technical assistance initiatives were:
Area 1: Enhancing and Increasing Delivery of Integrated Health Care (IHC) - Click here.
Area 2: Maximizing Third Party Funding Streams Revenue: Insurance Credentialing/Billing & Coding - Click here.
Area 3: Adopting a certified electronic health record (EHR) - Click here.
Area 4: Developing outcome-based evaluations - Click here.
The project targeted Greater Houston/Harris County behavioral health care provider organizations, particularly those providing care to under-served populations. Community educational activities were open to all providers. Individual technical assistance for any or all of the targeted areas was provided to NBHP members as a membership benefit.
Additional Information on the BHACA Initiative
Community Events
BHACA Blast: Bimonthly Newsletter
BHACA Blog