An Exploration of Behavioral Health Productivity and Billing Practices Within Pediatric Primary Care

ObjectivesaEuro integral To provide descriptive information on behavioral health (BH) productivity and billing practices within a pediatric primary care setting. MethodsaEuro integral This retrospective investigation reviewed 30 months of electronic medical records and financial data. ResultsaEuro integral The percent of BH provider time spent in direct patient care (productivity) was 35.28% overall, with a slightly higher quarterly average (M = 36.42%; SD = 6.46%). In the 646.75 hr BH providers spent in the primary care setting, $52,050.00 was charged for BH services delivered ($80.48 hourly average). ConclusionsaEuro integral BH productivity and billing within pediatric primary care were suboptimal and likely multifactorially derived. To promote integrated primary care sustainability, the authors recommend three future aims: improve BH productivity, demonstrate the value-added contributions of BH services within primary care, and advocate for BH-supporting health care reform.