Access to comprehensive behavioral healthcare has never been more important—for your clients and for their employees. Here’s what Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) is doing to help.

Increasing access to care

Early in the pandemic, BCBSRI expanded telemedicine for behavioral healthcare. Today, we are continuing with coverage for telemedicine at all levels of behavioral healthcare (except inpatient and residential) for members nationwide. In addition, we are:

• Waiving prior authorizations for in-network behavioral health services—requiring only a notification instead—to empower providers and enable them to determine the appropriate care for their patients
• Investing in community behavioral health organizations to increase access to care
• Promoting full integration of behavioral healthcare into primary care to enable earlier identification and treatment of issues as well as easier and quicker access to services. Members across the country can consult with their primary care providers to find help in their area.
• Working to reduce overall costs for employers by enhancing utilization of services

Providing services across the care spectrum

BCBSRI has resources for all stages of emotional well-being—from online resources to manage stress and build resilience, to in-person and virtual therapy options, to inpatient, outpatient, and specialized programs that include the following:

For children and adolescents

• Children & Family Intensive Treatment (CFIT) – Designed for at-risk children with moderate/severe psychiatric symptoms, CFIT offers therapy, medication consultation and management, support services, and case management coordination.
• Mindful Teen Program – This outpatient program provides individual and family therapy for at-risk teens who are experiencing significant emotional issues.
• Pediatric Psychiatry Appointments – Child and Family Psychiatry of Cranston, RI provides urgent appointments for BCBSRI pediatric members in need of an evaluation.

For adults

• Butler Hospital Transitional Outpatient Program (TOP) – TOP provides focused, short-term care (including counseling, medication management, and case management) to patients immediately following discharge from an inpatient stay.
• HealthPath – For recently hospitalized or at-risk members, this program provides multidisciplinary treatment options and more intensive services to facilitate recovery.
• Peer Recovery Coaching – BCBSRI is the first commercial health plan to cover this peer-driven program, which is designed to help members with behavioral health and/or substance use disorders with treatment, recovery, and maintaining treatment gains.

For more information on BCBSRI behavioral healthcare services, please visit the Healthier Workforce page on the employer website or speak with your BCBSRI account executive.