November 2019
Encourage follow-up care for mental health, substance use disorder after a patient visits ER
In the United States, 18% of adults and 13% to 20% of children experience mental illness, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
Follow-up care for mental health issues is crucial. It helps to:
- Decrease repeat visits to the emergency room.
- Improve physical and mental function.
- Increase compliance with follow-up instructions.
In 2016, NCQA also found that 20.1 million Americans older than age 12 were classified as having a substance use disorder. The study showed timely follow-up care for these individuals helped to reduce:
- Substance use
- Future ER use
- Hospital admissions and length of stay
Follow-up care for FEP® members
A primary care physician or mental health specialist should be a member’s primary resource for follow-up care. Federal Employee Program® members have additional resources they can use for follow-up care after a discharge from the emergency room for mental illness or substance use disorder:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical Case Management at 1-800-325-6278
- New Directions Behavioral Health at 1-800-342-5891
- Telehealth services at 1-855-636-1579 or www.fepblue.org/telehealth
For more information, FEP members can contact Customer Service at 1-800-482-3600. All other members should call the Customer Service number on the back of their member ID card.
|