Behavioral Health Appointment Standards
12/09/2024
Behavioral Health Practices: Appointment Scheduling Standards
Ensuring patients can access care when they need it is crucial for maintaining quality and satisfaction in healthcare services. To support this, access standards have been established for participating behavioral health practices under both Commercial and Braven HealthSM plans and Horizon NJ Health plans.
Providers can review the specific access standards on the Horizon website, where the most recent access standards survey results are also available.
Recommendations for Providers
To align with these standards and enhance patient care, consider implementing the following recommendations:
- Update Your Provider Profile
- Use the Provider Data Maintenance Tool on Availity Essentials to update your status if your practice is at capacity or unable to maintain the standards.
- Educate Your Team
- Share the access standards with all employees to ensure consistency in scheduling and availability practices.
- Integrate Standards into Training
- Make these standards a core part of ongoing employee education to maintain compliance and improve patient satisfaction.
- Post Standards as a Reference Tool
- Display the standards at the front desk to serve as a quick and accessible reference for staff.
Survey Participation
When completing future surveys about appointment availability, be sure to provide responses based on your practice’s capacity for established patients to ensure accurate reporting and evaluation.
Adhering to these scheduling standards helps practices meet patient needs, maintain compliance, and provide high-quality care. It also supports efficient operations by aligning provider availability with patient demand.
For more details, visit the Horizon website to review access standards for your specific plan.
