Behavioral Health Assessment Officer: Financial Tool Executive Summary
UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence’s Behavioral Health Assessment Officer (BHAO) project is designed to produce maximum benefit to all parties. The center has developed a practice pro forma that shows the expected financial implications of its implementation. This program is not expected to be financially self-sustaining; however, there are a few key steps to take while in the early stages of implementation. Pursuing one or more of the following steps can positively impact the financial implications in a material way:
- Explore with your local payors and/or accountable care organizations (ACOs) some forms of value-based payment or capitated models based on mutually negotiated quality metrics.
- Look at reduction of readmission penalties for your hospital, reimbursement for Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) assessments, as well as other return on investments (ROIs) for your hospital and for the community at large.
- Combine the above with grant funding sources where applicable, while measuring ROI for the community at large to maximize program potential.
Combined with grant funding sources, this program has the potential to cover its costs and should be carefully considered and discussed with your financial team.
The financial considerations in the pro forma reflect implementation in a hospital/emergency department (ED) setting, with several assumptions outlined in the “Assumptions” tab within the spreadsheet. Adjustments should be made based on ED visits per year. After implementation, compare the expected number of SBIRT screenings to actual screenings billed. Number of SBIRT screenings is a subject of operational effectiveness and should be reviewed throughout implementation as it is a key indicator of implementation success and program effectiveness.