BY SANDRA JACOBS, VITAL SIGNS EDITOR
As the April 1, 2024 date for implementing Massachusetts’ new Behavioral Health Wellness Examination neared, the Massachusetts Medical Society was aware of the need for accurate, comprehensive information about the new exam.
In response, the Society organized experts in all facets of the exam and its logistics to present a free webinar, “Reviewing Massachusetts’ Behavioral Health Wellness Examination.”
The examination concept was created with the passage of the state’s Mental Health ABC Act: Addressing Barriers to Care, passed in mid-2022, after a long-brewing mental health crisis was exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ABC
Act required insurers to cover an “annual mental health wellness exam” for commercially insured and MassHealth patients, with the goal of improving patient access to mental and behavioral health care.
During the well-attended webinar, moderated by then-MMS President Barbara S. Spivak, MD, senior leaders from the Massachusetts Division of Insurance (DOI), the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
provided clear overviews and specifics that included the roles of health care professionals and insurers, including reimbursement logistics and the expected benefits for patients.
Hugh Taylor, MD, a family medicine physician and, at the time, president-elect of the MMS, explained the exam’s specifics and how it was developed. His involvement began soon after the ABC Act passed. “The state DOI sought input from the MMS and
others to put the Act into practice,” he says. “I volunteered to do that.” Dr. Taylor participated in developing the framework for the visit and also in proposing, along with others, the CPT code and diagnosis codes.
The webinar was held by the MMS in partnership with the Massachusetts chapters of the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Practice, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society.
To help physicians participate in administering the exam, the MMS has developed a new resource page where you will find essential information including the following:
“I see it [the exam] as a great way to let our physicians become aware [of behavioral health wellness],” says Taylor. “It’s just as important to screen for mental health issues as for physical ones. I hope we’ll make it routine. It’s good to offer
this service to our patients.”
For questions, please email the MMS Physician Practice Resource Center at
pprc@mms.org.
