Feds Invest $14M to Integrate Telehealth Into Pediatric Primary Care Offices

The federal government is investing more than $14 million in telehealth programs that integrate behavioral health services into pediatric primary care.

The Health and Human Services Department is issuing the money, from the American Rescue Plan, to newly selected Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) projects, which allow pediatric mental health providers to use connected health to consult with, train, provide assistance to and participate in care management plans with primary care providers.

The funding will bolster a program, overseen by the Health Resources and Services Administration, that currently manages 21 projects in 21 states.

And it targets a significant need in today’s landscape, so much affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Roughly 22 percent of children between 3 and 17 are dealing with one or more behavioral health issues, and only one in five is getting treatment from a specialist.

“Children are struggling with a range of emotional and behavioral challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those in families with lower incomes or who face other obstacles to healthcare,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a press release. “This program harnesses the power of technology to make mental and behavioral healthcare more accessible and equitable for our nation’s children, and links pediatric care providers to children and their families who need that specialized care.”

“Now more than ever, families need mental and behavioral health care for their children, but significant disparities in access to this treatment continue to exist,” added Acting HRSA Administrator Diana Espinosa. “The expansion of the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program paves the way for more children to receive necessary mental health services, especially those in underserved communities.”

The program targets a pain point in the healthcare industry: overworked and overwhelmed pediatric primary care providers who don’t have the training or resources to help the growing number of kids with behavioral health issues. Access to specialists isn’t easy, especially in regions where specialists are scarce.

Telehealth can close that gap.

Through PMHCA programs, states or health systems create pediatric mental healthcare teams than can include child and adolescent psychiatrists, licensed mental health professionals and care coordinators. Those teams are then made available to connect with pediatric primary care providers – including pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants – on a telemedicine platform.