Jan 24, 2022

How the Opioid Crisis is Affecting Your Behavioral Health Treatment Center

Hand in disposable glove holding 5 packs of different types of medication pills

The opioid crisis in America is nearly as widespread and debilitating as the COVID-19 pandemic we’ve been facing for the last few years. Is this problem what we see on the surface or much more than that? When looking deeper into it, we can tell that the current opioid epidemic is a symptom of a much larger problem. It’s the effects of financial despair and the ability to consume news and information at a rate much greater than ever before. Mental health is being torn down and effected rapidly. Therefore, many Americans are turning to opioids as a way to help with the decline of their minds. So, as a Behavioral Health practice, what role do you play in this? How can a Behavioral Health billing solution help? Here are 3 ways the opioid crisis is affecting your Behavioral Health practice:

A Need to Understand and Educate

As someone in the Behavioral Health field, educating yourself on opioids is imperative. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others. What’s devastating about the opioid epidemic is how easily accessible these drugs are. They often only require a prescription. As a Behavioral Health specialist, learning each of your patients’ needs and problems will be more important now, in the midst of this crisis, than ever. Understanding what each patient is dealing with financially, personally, and how much they’re consuming from various media outlets will play a big role in their mental health and could potentially lead them down the destructive path of opioid abuse.

Higher Patient Demand

With the opioid epidemic rapidly invading the lives of many Americans, you may start to see the demand of your patients grow. While this isn’t a bad thing, it may require a lot more out of you as a Behavioral Health provider. With patient demand on the rise, it may be hard to juggle both the needs of your patients and business management. We’re not saying this to overwhelm you but to draw attention to the idea of getting help with the business side of your practice. That’s where Nextus Billing Solutions comes in. Instead of juggling higher patient demand and your practice’s billing, allow Nextus to take the collections piece off of your plate. Nextus Billing Solutions can ensure your behavioral health billing is going smoothly while you focus on your patients, especially amid an opioid crisis.

Larger Risk, Less Reward

With an influx of patients and potentially those that are struggling with opioids, your Behavioral Health practice may run a higher risk with less reward. This means you may start to see a decline in your billing and collections, especially if you are managing it on your own. With Nextus Billing Solutions, we handle the behavioral health billing part so you can get back to focusing solely on your patients and ever-present their needs. By allowing our elite team of professionals to handle your billing, you are able to shift your focus completely on giving your patients your very best.

As the opioid crisis in America continues to run rampant, Behavioral Health facilities will continue to be imperative in eliminating this issue. Providers have a right to give their patients that are dealing with this epidemic their full attention. This business management side of a Behavioral Health practice can be distracting for providing the best help for patients. With the help of Nextus Billing Solutions, you can lessen the stress of billing and collections and make the care your patients are receiving more intentional and focused. Visit our website today to learn more!