Medicare Advantage members in crisis to get new options for behavioral health care treatment

Starting Jan. 1, 2024, our Medicare Advantage members (Medicare Plus Blue℠ and BCN Advantage℠) will have some new options for receiving help if they’re having a behavioral health crisis, as part of our crisis services program.

“These options can be used in place of going to an emergency room in an effort to hasten access to behavioral health-focused care,” said Dr. William Beecroft, medical director of behavioral health for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Blue Cross and Blue Care Network commercial plans began offering this program in October 2021.
Care options include:

• Psychiatric urgent care
• Mobile crisis services
• On-site crisis stabilization services
• Residential crisis treatment

Several facilities in Michigan currently offer these services as part of this program, with additional facilities expected to join the program in the future.

See our Help in times of crisis flyer for details on locations, phone numbers, service areas and care options available at these locations.

In a crisis, members or other individuals — including family members, friends, law enforcement personnel or emergency department staff — can call the number of a crisis location in their service area for guidance.

A mobile unit may be deployed to offer assessment and treatment. Walk-ins are also accepted at some locations.

“The goal of such services is to make sure our members get treated at the right place at the right time,” Dr. Beecroft said.

About our mobile crisis services

Mobile crisis services include:

• Professional mental health teams in the community who can evaluate the members wherever they are located — even in their homes, school, work or doctor’s office
• Face-to-face evaluations, telemedicine or phone evaluations to develop a treatment plan, initiate treatment and, if needed, referral to an appropriate placement for the member

The mobile crisis team may stay involved for two to four weeks after the initial encounter to ensure members are connected to the right level of care for mental health or substance use disorder treatment, and to provide treatment as necessary.

About our on-site crisis stabilization services

On-site crisis stabilization services include:

• Behavioral health evaluation to initiate appropriate treatment (similar to medical observation services)
• Physical site‑based services that are necessary to support the mobile crisis team
• Includes intake assessment, psychiatric evaluation, crisis intervention and initiation of treatment, such as psychotherapy, medication administration, therapeutic injection, observation and peer support
• Initiating coordinated linkages and “warm handoffs” to the appropriate level of care and community resources

Facilities used for physical site-based services are open 24/7. Members will have access to services from a multidisciplinary staff, including physicians, registered nurses, licensed master social workers, psychologists, clinical supervisors and additional support staff.

As part of the evaluation and treatment process at these facilities, some members may still need psychiatric hospitalization.

We’ll keep you informed as additional locations join this program.