Patients do their best when medical and behavioral health providers communicate with each other about the patient’s care. While management of mental health in the primary care setting is crucial for common behavioral health conditions, coordination with behavioral health care specialists may be necessary and can enhance your ability to provide appropriate and patient-centered care. Coordination of care supports patient safety, risk identification, and adherence to treatment.

Discussing coordination with your patient

You must obtain and document patient consent prior to exchanging patient personal information and discussing patient health care with other providers, including behavioral health specialists. We encourage you to discuss the importance of coordinated medical and behavioral health care with your patients. Provide your patients with clear information about what will be shared and how that information will help the management of their medical or behavioral health care.

Coordinating with behavioral health services

For our members with complex behavioral health needs, discuss behavioral health services with them or their caregiver. If appropriate, (with member’s consent), refer our members to behavioral health specialists by calling the number on the back of the member’s ID card under Mental Health/Substance Abuse. For most AmeriHealth members, Magellan Healthcare, Inc. (Magellan) administers behavioral health benefits.

Regular communication with specialists providing behavioral health services to your patients is an essential component of appropriate management. Shared information could include:

• Management of medications and treatments, especially:
  • clinical risks (e.g., antipsychotics, which may increase risk for metabolic syndrome);
  • polypharmacy and medication interactions;
  • side effects that could influence compliance with care.
• Coordination of ordering tests and monitoring results;
• Interactions between behavioral health and medical conditions;
• Influence of behavioral health stressors on medical symptoms;
• Influence of social determinants on health outcomes.

Collaborating with behavioral health services

Remember to document each communication with your patient’s other providers in their medical record. To facilitate collaboration between medical and behavioral health providers, AmeriHealth and Magellan provide the following resources for providers:

• Clinician Collaboration Form. A one-page template form highlighting vital information about a patient’s medical and behavioral health care and concerns. The form can be exchanged electronically or by mail to the receiving provider.
• Magellan’s Behavioral Health Disorders Toolkit. A collection of resources to help identify potential behavioral health concerns and assist in making behavioral health referrals. The online toolkit contains descriptions of common behavioral health concerns (including substance use), user-friendly screening tools, patient handouts, provider tip sheets, informational materials, and more.

To access the Clinical Collaboration Form and the Behavioral Health Disorders Toolkit visit the Resources for Patient Management webpage for AmeriHealth New Jersey and the Worksheets, Forms, and Guides webpage for AmeriHealth Pennsylvania.

Magellan Healthcare, Inc. manages mental health and substance abuse benefits for most AmeriHealth members.