The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation recently released a new report, “Opening the Door to Behavioral Health Open Access in Massachusetts: A Look at the Experience and Opportunities to Support Implementation.”
The behavioral health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn further elevate the need for improved access to behavioral health care services. This report focuses on “open access,” a model for delivering timely access to behavioral health care services.
The adoption of open access methods supports the well-being of people with behavioral health conditions, improves staff productivity, and increases financial stability for provider organizations. However, no study has previously documented the experience of provider organizations using this model in Massachusetts.
The report and companion case studies identify organizations that operate open access today, describe the open access models they use, and highlight the approaches that have been most successful. This report also pinpoints keys to success for organizations to consider in adopting an open access model and offers policy recommendations to promote the broader adoption of open access in the Massachusetts behavioral health care system.
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