Primary care providers (PCPs) are often the first healthcare providers to encounter a patient with depression. There is a quick, easy-to-administer tool that can help screen for and quantify the severity of depression in patients.

Five scenarios which may warrant further consideration of a diagnosis of depression include:

• Previous depressive episode or family history of depression
• Multiple or unexplained physical symptoms
• Chronic pain or chronic illness
• Recent serious loss or stressful life events
• Increase in substance use

In addition, two tools can make screening and follow-up for depression easier. The first screening tool consists of two questions:

1. During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?
2. During the past month, have you often been bothered by little interest or pleasure in doing things?

The use of these two screening questions alone showed a sensitivity and specificity of 97% and 67%, respectively, when tested in a primary care setting on patients not receiving psychotropic drugs.¹   

 

If the answer to one or both questions is "yes", a more detailed assessment can be done using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) which can be found at www.beaconhealthstrategies.com/PHQ9. 

 

Beacon Health Strategies can help, whether your patient needs a referral for psychotherapy or a trial of antidepressants.

Call Beacon at 888-204-5581 for further assistance. 

 

For additional treatment options, visit www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml. 

 

 

1. Arroll B, Khin N, Kerse N. Screening for depression in primary care with two verbally asked questions: cross sectional study.BMJ.2003;327:1144-1146 

 

Effective July 1, 2014, the following code has been added to the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Prior Authorization List:

The following new codes will not require prior authorization:

• S1035 - Sensor; invasive(e.g., subcutaneous), disposable, for use with artificial pancreas device system
• S1036 - Transmitter; external, for use with artificial pancreas device system
• S1037 - Receiver (monitor); external, for use with artificial pancreas device system

 Click Here to view the complete DME Prior Authorization List.   

 

For certain services (listed here), NHP requires that prior authorization be requested electronically through NHPNet, the secure provider portal.

For all other services that require prior authorization, we request that providers fax over the Standardized Authorization Request form. The Massachusetts Health Care Administrative Collaborative, a multi-stakeholder group committed to reducing health care administrative costs, developed the Standardized Prior Authorization Form to assist providers with the prior authorization process with multiple health plans.

Click Here to access the Standardized Authorization Request Form.

 

Beginning in August, NHP launched a campaign targeted at educating members with Asthma. We will be reaching out to over 13,000 NHP members with asthma (or their parents if the member is under 18 years of age). The purpose of these calls is to help members better understand and manage their conditions, such as understanding the difference between "controller" inhalers and "fast acting" inhalers. 

For additional information and resources, you can direct your patients to NHP.org or NHP's Asthma Condition Management Program:

• Adults - (844) 310-3549
• Pediatric - (844) 310-3550