Behavioral and Mental Health Resources for Providers
Committed to Whole Person Health
As a health care provider, you play a crucial role in your patients' well-being. You know that a person's mental well-being can have a big impact on their physical health.
We are committed to helping improve emotional vitality for our customers, as well as for the providers we work with. Strong resiliency and emotional health can help providers better accomplish daily tasks and stay balanced for life’s unplanned moments.
We’re here to support you—as providers and as people. The mental health-related information and resources below are given to complement your patient interactions.
Behavioral Health Resources for Patients
Sometimes, the best advice you can have for your patients—especially when talking about behavioral health—is that they should talk with an expert or specialist in that area. Cigna Healthcare℠ has a wide range of behavioral health resources that you can direct them to for more information.
Learn more about the resources Cigna Healthcare offers using our Behavioral Health Interactive Guide [PDF]
Reimbursement for Mental Health Services
Your time is valuable. That’s why we have a Preventive Care Administrative Policy [PDF] that provides guidance on how to bill preventive care services and screenings, as well as the codes that represent these services. For the majority of your patients, these are all covered at 100% with no cost-share.2
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Eligible preventive care services are covered at 100% with no patient cost-share only when performed by a participating provider. Services performed by non-participating providers may not be covered at 100%. Additional services or treatments performed in the same office visit as preventive services may incur out-of-pocket costs for your patients when billed separately. Certain codes may only be covered when provided at a separate encounter from the preventive care evaluation and management (E+M) office visit. Please refer to the policy for guidance on appropriate codes for reporting a preventive service.
Help Your Patients Avoid Surprise Bills
If a patient’s preventive visit reveals an illness or condition that needs immediate care—including treatment for stress, depression, or drug and alcohol dependence—you may bill for a routine office visit in addition to the preventive visit, as appropriate. However, if you do bill for a routine office visit in addition to the preventive visit, help your patients avoid “surprise” bills by informing them that they will most likely incur out-of-pocket expenses for the additional services.
Mental Health Screening Tools
Not all patients will be open about how they're feeling—physically and emotionally. They may not even be aware that something is wrong. That's why, in addition to screenings you may already be performing, we encourage you to use these nationally published tools that can help you screen your patients for the presence of common behavioral health issues like depression or substance use.
Common Mental Health Conditions
Managing Stress
As a health care provider, you’re well aware of the impact stress can have on physical health. That’s why the sooner you and your patients can manage stress, the better. We have tools and information that can help you and your patients take control of stress.
The impacts of stress can show in many ways—specifically, as a main contributor of sleep disturbances. It’s important as a health care provider to take action to maintain or improve your sleep so you can be focused while caring for patients.
Loneliness
The loneliness epidemic is increasing: 30% of Americans experience feelings of loneliness each week.3 Despite these significant numbers, it can be difficult to identify patients who are suffering from chronic loneliness, as the symptoms and signs can differ for each person. Chronic loneliness is an ongoing sense of isolation that some people feel, even when they are surrounded by people and seem otherwise happy.
To help assist your patients who may be suffering from loneliness, Cigna Healthcare created the loneliness hub, which offers innovative, whole-person solutions and resources to help combat the mental health crisis.
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American Psychiatry Association, "Healthy Minds Monthly Poll," January 30, 2024. https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/News-Releases/New-APA-Poll-One-in-Three-Americans-Feels-Lonely-E
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