Mental health services for TennCare to change first of the year

Thursday, November 13, 2008

CHATTANOOGA (AP) -- A change that merges oversight of mental health services for TennCare enrollees is intended to better coordinate their overall care and make it easier to manage.

Starting Jan. 1 in East Tennessee, TennCare managed care companies will handle both physical benefits as well as mental health - or behavioral - concerns.

Previously, two separate payers - a managed care company and a behavioral health company - worked independently to administer these benefits.

TennCare chief medical officer, Dr. Wendy Long, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that people now recognize "many illnesses have both a physical and a mental health component" and there's not a line between.

Now, in East and West Tennessee, enrollees will access care through one insurance plan, either BlueCross BlueShield subsidiary Volunteer State Health Plan or AmeriChoice, a division of United Healthcare.

TennCare has staggered the startup by region, with the change going into effect last year in Middle Tennessee and a week ago in West Tennessee.