2021 referral requirement updates for behavioral health services
Behavioral health service referral requirements updated for 2021.
- Select states
- Regulatory and compliance
Effective Jan. 1, 2021, all members enrolled in Optimum Choice, Optimum Choice Preferred,
MD-Individual Practice Association, Inc. (M.D. IPA) and M.D. IPA Preferred will no longer need a referral from their primary care physician for routine behavioral health services, including mental health and substance abuse services, from a participating network provider. Members can sign in or register on myuhc.com® to find a UnitedHealthcare network behavioral health provider.
For more information, please contact your broker or UnitedHealthcare representative.
The 2020 America’s Health Rankings Annual Report from UnitedHealth Foundation finds improvements have been made in reducing rates of adults with multiple chronic conditions and increasing the number of adults who received the recommended flu vaccine. This year’s report includes data that predates the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and does not assign overall state rankings.
The 2020 report found:
- The percentage of American adults with at least 3 chronic health conditions decreased from 10.3% to 9.5% in 2019.
- Obesity rates in American adults increased from 27.8% in 2011 to 31.9% in 2019.
- More than 25% of American adults received their recommended flu vaccine in 2019 than 2018.
- The prevalence of frequent mental distress in American adults increased by over 11% from 2018 to 2019.
The 2020 America’s Health Rankings Annual Report from UnitedHealth Foundation finds improvements have been made in reducing rates of adults with multiple chronic conditions and increasing the number of adults who received the recommended flu vaccine. This year’s report includes data that predates the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and does not assign overall state rankings.
The 2020 report found:
- The percentage of American adults with at least 3 chronic health conditions decreased from 10.3% to 9.5% in 2019.
- Obesity rates in American adults increased from 27.8% in 2011 to 31.9% in 2019.
- More than 25% of American adults received their recommended flu vaccine in 2019 than 2018.
- The prevalence of frequent mental distress in American adults increased by over 11% from 2018 to 2019.
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