How Telehealth Services Are Changing Addiction Treatment?

People may prefer telehealth services for a variety of different reasons, whether they are in rural or suburban areas. This includes both patients and healthcare providers. It’s important to protect patient access to telehealth services. Hansei Solutions helps treatment professionals, clinics, and centers navigate all aspects of the health insurance coverage, from credentialing to insurance verification to denied claims and beyond. Let’s talk about how telehealth services are changing addiction treatment for the better and how Hansei Solutions can help you or your team. 

Key Points:

• Telehealth services are changing addiction treatment for the better. They increase treatment access, help people stay in treatment regardless of new life circumstances or changes that might arise, and provide convenience and flexibility for clients and providers.
• Making sure that your clients’ care is covered can be a hassle. Hansei Solutions is a trusted partner for mental health and substance abuse providers. We’re here to make sure that you get paid so that you can focus on your role as a treatment professional. 

How Telehealth Services Are Changing Addiction Treatment for the Better

Telehealth is just as effective as in-person outpatient care. As for how telehealth services are changing addiction treatment for the better, here are just a few of the benefits patients and providers see. 

Increased Access to Treatment 

For many people, the availability of telehealth has increased access to treatment. People in rural areas, those who need specialized providers that may not be available in their immediate area, and those with busy lives are just a few examples of the clients who may opt for telehealth. 

Higher Rates of Retention

We know that longer treatment lengths can make a positive difference in client health outcomes. Research has shown that telehealth can support higher rates of retention. For example, a study analyzing data from Kentucky and Ohio in 2019-2020 found that those receiving opioid use disorder treatment via telehealth were more likely to stay in treatment for 90 continuous days compared to those getting treatment in a non-telehealth environment. 

Convenience and Flexibility for Clients

Telehealth provides convenience and flexibility for clients and providers. People are able to cut the commute time out of their day and better balance other life responsibilities or activities with treatment services. 

How Telehealth Services are Changing Addiction Treatment (and How Hansei Solutions Can Help)

Behavioral health providers navigate constant changes in the insurance and billing process. Here’s a little bit more about how telehealth services are changing in addiction treatment and how Hansei Solutions can help.

Behavioral Health Billing With Hansei Solutions

Getting help for Behavioral Health Billing With Hansei Solutions means that you can focus on what you need to: helping your clients. We’re a one-stop shop for any behavioral health billing issues you might be dealing with. Ways we can help include, but are not limited to, the following.

Verification of Benefits in Medical Billing

Verification of Benefits in Medical Billing is one of the first steps toward getting a client the care they need. Unfortunately, the process can be complicated, confusing, and frustrating both for people seeking services and their providers. Our verification of benefits (VOB) process includes confirming:

• Client information.
• Type of insurance plan (including different Medicare plans).
• Status of individual policies.
• Details of plan coverage. 
• Co-pays and deductibles. 
• Pre-authorization.
• Lifetime maximums. 
• Payable benefits. 
• Co-insurances.
• Referrals. 

Hansei Solutions’ process minimizes future challenges, such as denied claims, making it simpler for providers and their clients to navigate treatment coverage.

Claim Denial Management With Hansei Solutions 

Health insurance claim denials are on the rise. The impact this has on patients and their providers can be serious. Claim Denial Management With Hansei Solutions can help by:

• Recording the submission process.
• Identifying denial trends.
• Reducing rejections.
• Streamlining claims.

We’ll help you find out why your clients are getting denied and what to do about it.

Call Hansei Solutions to Learn More About How Telehealth Services are Changing Addiction Treatment

Hansei Solutions is a trusted partner for mental health and addiction treatment providers. We provide advanced, seamless behavioral health billing services to maximize revenue cycle management and profitability for all types of behavioral health professionals, clinics, and treatment centers. Call Hansei Solutions to learn more about how telehealth services are changing addiction treatment and get help navigating insurance-related issues today. 

FAQs

Is telehealth for addiction covered by insurance? 

Yes. Addiction treatment conducted via telehealth is usually covered by insurance. Telehealth can be used to treat addiction in several ways. For example, individual therapy, group therapy, and medication management. However, details such as a person’s specific insurance plan influence where they can get care covered by their benefits. 

What do I do if my clients’ telehealth addiction treatment services are getting denied?

There are several reasons a client’s telehealth addiction treatment services could be getting denied. It is important to contact the insurance company directly to find out exactly why they are attempting to deny your clients’ services. In many cases, improper billing codes are the problem; the code that seems to be the right fit might not be. The solution is to use the right code(s) and modifier(s). 

It is also common that an insurance company will deny a claim if they don’t have enough information regarding why your client’s addiction treatment is medically necessary. In that case, providing additional documentation can help. 

How do I get telehealth for addiction covered as a therapist?

Getting telehealth covered as an addiction therapist involves several key steps. Mainly, these include:

• Verifying benefits: A client’s benefits must be verified. They’ll need their insurance card or information (including their member ID).
• Proper billing: It’s imperative that you use the right billing code(s) accompanied by the proper telehealth modifier. Finding the right codes can be tricky, which is part of how Hansei Solutions can help. 
• Licensure compliance: As you know, you must be licensed to practice in a client’s state in order to see them. Make sure that you’re licensed to practice in the US state where the person is at the time of their session. Most people attend telehealth sessions from their home, but it can still be important to check.
• Secure video conferencing: When providing telehealth services, you must choose a HIPAA-compliant video conferencing platform (e.g., Zoom).
• Documentation: It is critical that providers keep up with documentation throughout the treatment process, whether services are conducted online or face-to-face.

More often than they should, behavioral health providers, treatment facilities, and their clients will run into issues like denied claims. We’re here to help treatment professionals avoid unnecessary stress and burnout caused by insurance issues. 

How long does insurance cover telehealth addiction treatment for?

Usually, telehealth addiction treatment is covered for as long as it is deemed medically necessary. Many insurance plans cover short or long-term outpatient care, including telehealth services. 

Resources

https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2023/10/telehealth-supports-retention-in-treatment-for-opioid-use-disorder

https://telehealth.hhs.gov/patients/how-can-i-use-telehealth-substance-use-disorder