When Billing Codes Fall Short: Unbillable Time in Collaborative Care for Co-occurring Opioid Use and Mental Health Conditions

Key Points

• The aim is to address the inadequacy of current billing codes for collaborative care in treating patients with both opioid use and mental health conditions.
• Analysis of existing billing codes
• Evaluation of current reimbursement practices
• Identifying gaps in support for complex patient care
• Current billing codes do not fully reimburse collaborative care efforts.
• Modifications to billing codes could improve care quality for co-occurring conditions.
• Enhanced reimbursement may lead to better patient engagement and outcomes.