Wisconsin Governor Eyes Major Investments in Telemental Health

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is putting an emphasis on expanding telehealth services for mental healthcare during the coming years.

Evers’ proposed 2021-23 budget includes more than $150 million for mental health programs, including investments in connected health services to improve access and coverage. The proposals comes as the nation struggles with sharp increases in depression, stress and anxiety, as well as substance abuse, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Mental and behavioral healthcare is healthcare. Period. From our kids to our farmers, to veterans and those working to overcome substance use disorders, mental health support must be a priority for the health, safety, and well-being of our state,” the governor said in a press release. “The COVID-19 pandemic has only further exacerbated the need for and underscored the urgency of making sure we have affordable, accessible services available to folks when they need it most, and that’s why it’s a top priority in our budget.”

With the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offering incremental improvements in telehealth coverage and Congress yet to act on long-term telehealth policy, states are taking their own action on post-COVID-19 coverage and access goals. In just the last few weeks alone governors in Massachusetts, New York and South Dakota have announced or put in place aggressive telehealth guidelines.

Specifically, Evers is recommending that the state embrace payment parity for telehealth, which would compel the BadgerCare (Medicaid) program and private payers to reimburse providers for telehealth services, including telemental health, at the same rate as they do for in-person care.

The concept is controversial. Telehealth advocates, especially providers, like the idea, saying it creates the financial incentive necessary to push the adoption needle forward. Others, including many payers, are pushing back, saying insurers should be able to negotiate those rates with providers.

Aside from reimbursement, Evers’ two-year plan would also fund Behavioral Health Technology Grants to help care providers acquire and integrate connected health technology into their practice and put more support behind medication-assisted treatment (MAT) therapy, which often includes telehealth or mHealth tools that allow providers to monitor and communicate with their patients.

In addition, Evers’ proposals target more behavioral health services for veterans, students and farmers, populations that sometimes have difficulty accessing care. Many care providers are adopting telehealth platforms to reach those populations in schools, VA centers and clinics, rural regions and, especially, the home.

Finally, Evers plans to invest more than $25 million into crisis intervention and emergency detention programs. These programs are also seeing more integration with telehealth, from collaborations with police and EMS providers to bring mental health counselors to emergencies via mHealth apps and telemedicine tablets to platforms that provide emergency consults, peer support and other resources to emergency departments, 911 calls and other locations.