By ABHW President and CEO Debbie Witchey and Director of Communications and Programs Angela Lee
At a time when one in five U.S. adults experiences a mental illness each year—and our nation continues to face alarming rates of suicide and overdose—the need for smarter, more integrated behavioral health care has never been more urgent. As demand grows and the behavioral health workforce struggles to keep pace, managed collaborative care is proving to be one of the most effective strategies to deliver high-quality, cost-efficient, and patient-centered care.
The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) offers a transformative approach: it embeds behavioral health care directly into primary and specialty care settings. By leveraging a trained behavioral health care manager, supported by a primary care provider and psychiatric consultant, this model ensures patients receive timely, coordinated, and continuous care—drastically reducing the risk of individuals falling through the cracks.
Crucially, CoCM isn’t just clinically sound—it’s scalable and data-driven. A recent report by Milliman, commissioned by Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, reinforces the growing value of collaborative care. Drawing from CMS data and a commercial dataset representing 219 million people, the analysis found substantial growth in the adoption of collaborative care across all major payer types from 2018 to 2022:
- Medicare Advantage: 8x increase, from 2,600 to 20,780 beneficiaries
- Traditional Medicare: 5.2x increase, reaching 21,160 users
- Medicaid/CHIP: 9.2x increase, from 3,380 to 30,930 individuals
- Commercial Insurance: From 1,649 users in 2018 to 36,589 in 2023
This rapid and consistent growth across markets reflects a strong and growing recognition: collaborative care works. It delivers better outcomes, enhances access, and supports a more financially sustainable health care system, especially when implemented through managed care frameworks that prioritize population health and value-based results.
While adoption varies geographically, the overall upward trajectory is clear. What’s needed now is broader implementation, stronger policy alignment, and better interoperability to support real-time coordination across providers and systems.
To dive deeper into this critical issue, join ABHW’s upcoming webinar, “Building a Smarter Behavioral Health System with Coordinated Care,” on June 24 from 1–2 PM ET. Health care leaders and experts will share:
- Strategies for building effective, coordinated care frameworks
- How interoperability drives improved outcomes and eliminates fragmentation
Key policy and compliance considerations for today’s evolving landscape Moderated by ABHW’s Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs Kathryn Cohen, this event features expert insights from:
- Dr. Caroline Carney, President, Behavioral Health and CMO, Magellan Health
- Zuhal Haidari, Deputy Director, Digital Health, American Psychiatric Association
- Aisha Pittman, SVP, Government Affairs, National Association of ACOs
- Jennifer Steger, VP, Government Affairs, Health Innovation Alliance
This webinar is free and open to the public.
As behavioral health needs surge and health systems face continued pressure, collaborative care offers a scalable, sustainable, and evidence-based solution. Managed care organizations are uniquely positioned to champion this model—driving better health outcomes, reducing unnecessary costs, and shaping a more responsive and equitable behavioral health system for the future.
