We have a mental health epidemic

More than 57 million Americans – one in four adults – have a diagnosed mental illness. Tens of millions more struggle with stress and relationship issues. Hospitals, prisons, schools, companies, health plans, and veterans centers are overcrowded with patients needing help, but growing costs and shrinking budgets are decimating quality of care.

Even though 70-80% of patients with mental illness improve with treatment, patients remain woefully underserved. Two–thirds of Americans with a mental illness do not receive treatment due to cost, stigma, inconvenience, and low access, particularly in rural areas. This is despite Americans spending $121 billion on mental health and substance abuse treatment.

The solution of telemedicine

Telepsychiatry and online counseling – mental health services delivered through secure video, phone, email, and chat – have emerged as effective, affordable, convenient, and safe methods of treating stress and mental illness. Telemedicine has several substantial benefits:

Effectiveness:

Over fifteen years of research confirm that telemedicine is as effective as in–person treatment. This is particularly true in psychiatry and clinical psychology where much of the treatment is doctor–patient communication. A list of research studies on the effectiveness of telemedicine is available on our site.

Convenience:

Fifty percent of therapy clients drop out after a few sessions, but research shows that telecounseling can boost retention to over ninety percent. Because clients can hold sessions anywhere with phone or internet access, they are much more likely to go and stay in treatment. Breakthrough supports sessions via video, phone, email, and live chat.

Affordability:

Telemedicine sessions can cost ten to fifty percent less due to reduced overhead, travel time, and staffing needs. On Breakthrough, providers set rates that are often more affordable than in–office visits.

Access:

Research shows the fit between clients and mental health providers - the therapeutic alliance - is essential to positive outcomes. Many people will not travel to a provider beyond fifty miles, but telemedicine lets clients work with the best provider available. Breakthrough clients can find providers on a wide variety of criteria, including price, location, gender, experience, credentials, and more.

Confidentiality:

Eighty percent of therapy clients worry about the stigma of treatment. To protect clients, Breakthrough requires minimal information, enabling treatment with a level of discreteness and security not possible with in–person treatment. Breakthrough is also secure and HIPAA-compliant to ensure client privacy.

Support:

The support of friends, family, and other patients is essential to long–term recovery. Breakthrough offers forums and soon group sessions and seminars to enable peers to support each other no matter where they live.

Telemedicine is legal and expanding

Telepsychiatry and online counseling are legal and regulated by state–specific guidelines. Government and licensing boards are also rapidly evolving legislation to expand telemedicine access.

To protect providers and meet the highest levels of regulatory compliance, we currently allow providers to see clients only in states where the provider is licensed. Providers can typically apply for licensure in multiple states, either directly through state licensing boards or third–party services that streamline the application process.

Telemedicine is reimburseable

Since 2004, Medicare and the AMA have issued CPT codes to identify and reimburse telepsychiatry and online counseling services. A list of eligible services and codes include:

• Individual psychotherapy: CPT 90804 – 90809
• Consultations: CPT 99241 – 99255
• Office or other outpatient visits: CPT 99201 – 99215
• Pharmacologic management: CPT 90862
• Psychiatric diagnostic interview examination:CPT 90801
• Neurobehavioral status examination: CPT 96116

CPT code descriptions can be found on the American Medical Association's CPT directory. The modifier GT may be necessary to identify that services were delivered via telemedicine. For Medicare reimbursement, clients generally must receive treatment at an eligible originating site, such as a doctor's office, hospital, nursing facility, mental health clinic, or similar facility. Private payers often do not have the same locality restrictions. More details on reimbursement are available through the American Telemedicine Association.