The demand for mental health services is on the rise — with societal shifts, societal pressures, and global events all having their own impact on these growing numbers. On paper, this demand creates more opportunities to grow your mental health practice. But there’s more to the story, with underlying factors that affect how you’re able to join in on this mental health movement and carry out your mission of helping change patients’ lives.
On one hand, patients today live in a land of options when it comes to mental health services. If they don’t like the experience with one (an experience that starts before the first session), they can move to other mental health providers that will meet their needs. At the same time, when mental health practices do get patients through the door, they need to make sure they receive adequate payment fast. After all, profits for services rendered are what allow mental health practices to keep their doors open and serve the community.
With these factors in mind, here are tips for how to grow your mental health practice.
1. Have Resources To Negotiate Higher Reimbursement Rates
Many insurance companies present themselves as sticklers on reimbursement rates. This take it or leave it policy can leave many mental health clinics in a place where they accept lower rates, which comes at a cost to a clinic’s operations and quality of care.
Did you know? According to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, mental health organizations cite inadequate reimbursement rates for services as a main reason individuals can’t access mental health care, even with insurance.1
Even if insurers don’t advertise negotiable reimbursement rates, mental health clinics should still feel empowered to plead their case for better rates. While the natural evolution of a positive provider-insurer relationship can open the door to negotiations, there are many ways for mental health clinics to demonstrate value in the meantime.
It’s important to ask yourself what makes your clinic desirable to a health plan. Do you provide mental health services in a geographic area where these types of services are scarce? Do you offer services in multiple languages? Does your clinic have more weeknight and weekend availability to cater to busy patient schedules? The answers to these questions can help you build a value proposition that highlights your differentiators and builds a case for insurers to offer you better rates.
You can also use key data points to your advantage. Consider time-to-appointment as an example. If your clinic can demonstrate consistently short appointment wait times, an insurer will interpret that as your ability to provide timely and effective mental health care — a goal that they share. This can leave insurers more inclined to increase reimbursement rates.
2. Enable Processes That Streamline Patient Payment Collections
As J.P. Morgan highlights in their annual healthcare payment report, patient collections are historically slow. Most healthcare providers still rely on mailed paper statements and manually driven processes to collect patient payments. Combined with the added stress this creates for administrative staff amid a labor shortage, the results are less than ideal.
Did you know? 74% of providers say it takes 2+ statements to collect a patient balance in full. 37% of providers say it takes 3+ statements.2
Considering that 91% of consumers pay their recurring bills online, it’s beneficial for mental health clinics to extend this same courtesy to patients. Patients will appreciate the convenience of a self-service payment option through a secure patient portal, while the funds will also be made available to your clinic faster.
While how you collect patient payment is critical to revenue cycle management, it’s also a matter of when payment is collected. For instance, collecting copays prior to a session helps to reduce the risk of potential outstanding balances and the time and resources it takes to collect those payments. At the same time, patients will enjoy a faster, smoother check-in process that contributes to increased satisfaction with their overall experience.
3. Use the Right Measures To Drive Social Media Engagement
Statistics show that 60% of the world now uses social media, with the average user spending nearly two and a half hours a day on social platforms.3 While there’s no shortage of ways people are using social media, an interesting (and widespread) use case is to access health information.
Did you know? Nearly 90% of all adults in the USA search for health information on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or other social media sites.4
One of the most powerful ways mental health clinics can use social media platforms is to provide this type of educational content in an easy-to-digest way. This could come in the form of an infographic that defines big trauma vs. little trauma, a slideshow that covers five strategies to navigate through change, a college mental health checklist, or a self-assessment as to why an individual may be avoiding mental health therapy. Through these efforts, you’ll be able to build a positive rapport with prospective patients that earns more business and also offer helpful resources well before their first session.
There’s also something to be said for using social media accounts to humanize your clinic. When individuals seek out mental health resources, they want to find a community where they feel understood and comfortable to share their own experiences. While respecting patient privacy, social media can be a place where clinics can share authentic stories and testimonials that support this idea. A testimonial video from a practice provider or an anonymous quote from a satisfied patient can go a long way in earning interest and trust from prospective patients.
4. Design a Website Experience Built for Convenience
It’s been said Gen Z is often described as being tech-savvy, creative, and independent.5 But when it comes to mental health for this generation, stress overshadows optimism.
Did you know? 70% of Gen Z in the U.S. says their mental health needs the most attention or improvement right now.6
The good news is these so-called digital natives are more apt to report mental health concerns and seek treatments than other generations.7 So, with Gen Z set to become a larger segment of the patient population, mental health clinics need a digital experience that caters to this digitally savvy crowd.
Does your website currently allow patients to schedule appointments online? This is a convenience that Gen Z patients especially value, as it saves them a phone call to the office. Fully integrating this scheduler with a patient portal that sends out automated appointment reminders and allows them to confirm, reschedule, or cancel appointments online adds to a streamlined patient experience that earns new and recurring business.
Beyond features, it’s important to think about the values of Gen Z. Is the language on your website inclusive? Do the images showcase a diverse population? Almost 80% of Gen Z say it’s important for brands to address diversity and inclusion — with a website often being the first interaction a Gen Z’er has with that brand and thus where a good (or bad) impression can start.
5. Enhance Service Flexibility to Better Cater to Patient Needs
It’s a phrase you’ve likely heard before — and a sentiment that has been echoed by the American Psychological Association: telehealth is here to stay.8 More than a short-term product of the pandemic, telehealth has sustained momentum as a way for patients to get faster, more convenient access to care.
Did you know? Nearly 4 in 10 Americans have used telehealth services to meet with a medical or mental health professional.9
Introducing telehealth services into your business model opens the doors to growth in numerous ways. By allowing patients to access mental health care from home, you’ll break down geographic barriers that would otherwise limit your care demographic and allow you to reach a much wider audience. This is especially beneficial for tapping into remote areas where specialized mental health help is limited. What’s more, patients can still maintain continuous care in the event of a relocation or other circumstances, which contributes to better patient outcomes in the long run.
When it comes to making the switch over to a telehealth model, the process begins with buy-in from the senior leadership team. Once you’re in alignment with them, you can start to build an infrastructure that supports telehealth services — video conferencing, online assessments and patient intake, billing procedures, etc. — go through the proper testing and training, and roll out the telehealth services to your providers and patients.
Sources
1. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104597
2. https://www.instamed.com/trends-in-healthcare-payments-annual-report/
4. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-96906-0_4
7. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/01/gen-z
9. https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/new-nationwide-poll-shows-an-increased-popularity