Two-Thirds of Behavioral Health Facilities Now Use EHRs, But Data Exchange Lags Far Behind

New ONC data shows that while 68% of substance use and mental health treatment facilities have adopted electronic health records, only 20% participate in health information exchanges—a gap that directly affects Medicaid MCOs' ability to coordinate care for members with behavioral health needs. The exclusion of behavioral health providers from HITECH Act incentives continues to create care coordination challenges, particularly for complex Medicaid populations requiring integration across physical and behavioral health settings. State-operated facilities lag significantly behind federally-operated ones in EHR adoption, presenting varied challenges depending on a state's Medicaid delivery system structure.

Behavioral Health · Managed Care

This is outside commentary from Manatt Health, not part of Medicaid Monitor's independently scored news coverage.

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