At AHIP, Medicaid MCOs Talk Behavioral Health Value-Based Contracts

To succeed with value-based behavioral health care contracts, Medicaid managed care plans need to tailor those pacts to the unique needs of a given provider, MCO executives say. And plans may not be able to use risk-based contracts with individual practitioners and other small providers — especially if network adequacy is at stake. 

“We really try to think about it in three broad categories: Are we bringing clinical value, operational value or financial value” as a result of a value-based contract? posed Kevin Wheeler, M.D., medical director for practice transformation and value-based contracting strategy at AmeriHealth Caritas, during a June 14 session of the AHIP 2023 conference in Portland, Oregon. “And we’re thinking about this in terms of our relationships with our providers and with our members.”