Although Medicare readmission rates for behavioral health conditions - a combination of readmissions falling within the two major diagnostic categories (MDCs) of mental diseases and disorders and alcohol/drug use disorders - exceed Medicaid readmission rates (20.9% compared to 19.7% for 2011), a count of the actual number of readmissions by condition shows that no behavioral health condition even makes Medicare's "top 10" list for readmissions, but four can be found on both Medicaid's and the uninsured's "top 10" - mood disorders, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, alcohol-related disorders, and substance-related disorders (seeConditions With the Largest Number of Adult Hospital Readmissions by Payer, 2011).  Read more. 

A new RAND Corporation report examines three New York State initiatives implemented by community mental health centers to promote integrated care for patients with serious mental illness: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration grants program; New York State Office of Mental Health's Medicaid incentives for health monitoring and health physicals; and New York's Medicaid health homes.  Read the report and the accompanying issue brief here.   

These awards enable health centers to increase access to comprehensive primary health care services by hiring an estimated 4,750 new staff including new health care providers, staying open for longer hours, and expanding the care they provide to include new services such as oral health, behavioral health, pharmacy, and vision services.  

These investments will help health centers reach an estimated 1.5 million new patients nationwide, including over 137,000 oral health patients and more than 38,000 mental and substance abuse patients.  See a list of NYS  award winners here.   

Related:

Office of Mental Health Announces More Than $199,000 in New Funding for Orleans and Niagara Counties

The Obama administration said it would terminate health insurance for 115,000 people on Oct. 1 because they had failed to prove they were eligible for coverage.  Read more.  

Related:   Health Law Has Caveat on Renewal of Coverage 

Officials are encouraging consumers to revisit the federal marketplace to compare plans and ensure that they get the right amount of financial assistance in 2015.

Related: MVP Health Care is dropping some Medicare plans

MVP Health Care is expecting to run at a deficit in 2015 even though it plans to raise rates for some coverage under Medicare.  Low reimbursement rates under Medicare are cited as part of what led to the decision.     

Related:  One-Quarter Of ACOs Save Enough Money To Earn Bonuses  

Every psychological disorder, including depression, has some behavioral components.

Depressed children often lack energy and enthusiasm. They become withdrawn, irritable, and sulky. They may feel sad, anxious, and restless. They may have problems in school and frequently lose interest in activities they once enjoyed.

"There are multiple parts to mental illness, and the symptoms are usually what drug companies study and what parents worry about. But it's rare for us at FDA to target just one part of the illness," says Mitchell Mathis, M.D., a psychiatrist who is the director of FDA's Division of Psychiatry Products.  Learn more.    

 

About 2.6 percent of American adults -- nearly 6 million people -- have bipolar disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). But the disease, characterized by significant and severe mood changes, is still dangerously misunderstood.

Bipolar disorder is vastly different from the normal ups and downs of everyday life, but many have co-opted the term to refer to any old change in thoughts or feelings. The mood swings in someone with bipolar disorder, sometimes also called manic depression, can damage relationships and hurt job performance.  

It has been estimated that anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of people with bipolar disorder attempt suicide at least once.  Read more.