Health Topics

• Data Development
• Health Care Reform
• Health Information Technology
• Medicaid and CHIP
• Medicare
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Payment Policies and Costs
• Public and Population Health
• Quality and Health System Functioning
• State Health Policy

Rethinking Care for Medicaid Beneficiaries with Co-Occurring Physical and Behavioral Health Conditions

The Rethinking Care Program, a national initiative coordinated by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) and supported by Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit, seeks to improve the quality and lower the costs of care for high-need, high-cost Medicaid beneficiaries. In 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare and CHCS launched the Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Innovations Project under this initiative, focusing on the integration of physical and behavioral health care services for adult Medicaid beneficiaries with serious mental illness and co-occurring physical health conditions.

The two-year project included two pilots in the Southeastern and Southwestern regions of Pennsylvania. The Southeast pilot is a community-based partnership among the Bucks, Montgomery, and Delaware County behavioral health offices; community mental or behavioral health agencies; Magellan Behavioral Health; and the Keystone Mercy Health Plan. Partners for the Southwest pilot operating in Allegheny County include UPMC for You; Community Care Behavioral Health; and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

Mathematica conducted an evaluation of the Pennsylvania pilots to:

• Provide detailed descriptions of each pilot’s structure, roles of key stakeholders, and implementation activities
• Assess the implementation and outcomes of each pilot, including if and how different environments play a role, using both qualitative and quantitative methods
• Provide a formative evaluation to support the continuation of efforts in Pennsylvania and potential pilots in other states

Publications | Presentations

Webinar: "Integrating Medicaid Physical and Behavioral Health Services: Lessons from Pennsylvania" (October 1, 2012)
"SMI Innovations Project in Pennsylvania: Final Evaluation Report" (October 2012)
"SMI Innovations Project: Southwest Pennsylvania Case Study. The Connected Care Pilot Program" (October 2012)
"SMI Innovations Project: Southeast Pennsylvania Case Study. The HealthChoices HealthConnections Pilot Program" (October 2012)