Nebraska Telepsychiatry Service Providers

Despite the national shortage of behavioral health clinicians, many states have prioritized this issue by allocating additional resources to mental health care and pushing to further Medicaid expansion. Nebraska is a good example of a state that despite its rural geography has been able to provide a reasonable rate of access to care for its residents by prioritizing this issue. However, keeping up with patient demand can be difficult and many leaders are looking for a solution to growing their clinical team. At innovaTel, we believe that the solution is telepsychiatry.

Mental Health Statistics for Nebraska

According to Mental Health America, Nebraska ranks 23 overall in access to care and prevalence of mental illness. This ranking is based on 15 different measures including data on adults, children, and behavioral health workforce availability. An overall ranking 1-13 indicates a lower prevalence of mental illness and higher rates of access to care. Rankings 39-51 indicate a higher overall prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care. With Nebraska’s ranking falling somewhere in the middle, this suggests that there is reasonable access to care, showing promise for improvement. In 2018, Nebraska voters passed a Medicaid expansion program that will take effect in October 2020, allowing more Nebraska residents to have access to coverage. Barriers like health insurance often get in the way of individuals seeking mental health care treatment and by expanding access to coverage there should be a positive effect on access to care.

Nebraska Telepsychiatry Reimbursement & State Regulations

Understanding state laws and regulations is essential when establishing a telepsychiatry program. Each state is different and in the current climate, laws are changing rapidly, making it very important to stay up to date on legislation. A resource we recommend is the Center for Connected Health Policy’s website.

Nebraska Medicaid

Nebraska Medicaid reimburses for “live-video” in some circumstances. Nebraska Medicaid will provide coverage for telehealth at the same rate as in-person services when the platform meets industry standards of care and is HIPAA-compliant.

Private Payer & Parity Laws

Private payers and employee benefit plans must provide, upon the request of the insured, or health care provider; a description of the telehealth and telemonitoring services covered under the plan. Private payers and employee benefit plans cannot deny coverage for a service solely because the service is delivered through telehealth and is not provided in-person.

Benefits of Telepsychiatry

For community care centers that are looking to expand their clinical team, finding additional clinicians in your area can be a difficult and lengthy process. With telepsychiatry, care centers are able to bring new clinicians on quickly, as well as have more access to specialized clinicians that may not otherwise be readily available in that area.

Shorter Wait Times

When using telepsychiatry at your facility you’re able to eliminate the long wait times associated with shortage of available clinicians, waiting for specialized clinicians, and the time it can take for clinicians to travel between facilities. According to Resources to Recover, Only 47% of adults with mental illness in Nebraska receive any form of treatment from either the public system or private providers; while the remaining 53% receive no mental health treatment. When we provide our partner facilities with additional clinicians through telepsychiatry, wait times reduce and more individuals are able to receive treatment.

Reaching Specialized Clinicians

Barriers associated with the behavioral health workforce shortage can be further complicated in situations that require specialized clinicians. Clinicians who have sub-specialty training are often essential when treating complex cases or patients in crisis. With the use of telepsychiatry, facilities can be connected with specialized clinicians much faster than they would if they had to wait for a local clinician to become available. However, finding the right professionals in a timely manner can often be a challenge which is why partnering with a telepsychiatry company like innovaTel is so beneficial.

Implementing Telepsychiatry in Nebraska

Growing your clinical staff can be easy when you partner with an experienced telepsychiatry company like innovaTel. innovaTel partners with community mental health care centers to increase access to care in areas like Nebraska. innovaTel helps care centers to grow their clinical team with remote clinicians; handling all recruitment and only presenting you with qualified clinicians to choose from. This partnership will help your organization navigate state laws, licensing, and compliance, making the implementation process easy and efficient for you. After the onboarding process, your care center will still have the support of a clinical liaison as well as on-going IT support.

Nebraska Telepsychiatry Services from innovaTel

If your Nebraska mental health care facility is interested in establishing a telepsychiatry program we encourage you to contact one of our experts today. innovaTel was founded in 2014 to address the shortage of psychiatric clinicians. Our nationwide network includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and licensed clinical social workers with the mission to improve timely access to care by partnering with community care centers.

Sources: