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This handout explains how we at UW Health care for your mental health in the primary care setting.
Collaborative Care
Collaborative care is a team approach used to treat common mental health problems.
The team includes:
You
Parent/Guardian if under 18*
Your primary care provider (doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner)
A behavioral health clinician
A team psychiatrist
You and your team meet often and update your plan as needed.
Why this Approach is Used
Research shows that this is the best way to help those with depression or anxiety feel better faster.
Where it Takes Place
All care takes place at your primary care clinic.
How it Works
You and your team decide how to best treat your depression and/or anxiety. Treatment can include medicine, lifestyle changes, counseling, or combination care. If the first plan does not work, your team will help you make changes.
It is very common to change your plan at least once. Your team is there to support you and help you find the best plan for you. Our goal is to help improve the symptoms that bother you the most by at least 50% using our brief therapy model of care. This will help you get back to doing the things you used to enjoy.
Your behavioral health clinician will see you for visits (in-clinic, phone, or over video) every 1-4 weeks to work with you on your individual care plan.
PHQ-9 and/or GAD-7
The PHQ-9 is a survey that asks nine questions. The answers help your team to diagnose depression and monitor your treatment progress.
The GAD-7 is a survey that asks seven questions. The answers help your team to diagnose anxiety and monitor your treatment progress.
PROMIS FOR 11 and Under
You can fill out these forms by yourself in MyChart before each visit, or you can complete them in-clinic. Your care behavioral health provider can go over any questions and the results with you. We ask that you fill out both questionnaires for every visit with your behavioral health clinician.
How Collaborative Care is Billed
Collaborative Care is billed to your insurance once per month with one or more billing code (see below for codes) for the total care time over the month, listing your doctor or physician/nurse practitioner as the authorizing provider. Total time billed includes face-to-face and non-face-to-face services (visits with BHC, telephone calls, conferring with other members of your treatment team, as needed).
Key Questions to Ask Your Insurance Company
We strongly recommend that you call your insurance company prior to your intake appointment. You can find their phone number or website on the back of your insurance card.
These are primary care codes that should not need prior authorization. These codes fall under your primary care provider and primary care coverage.
Ask about your out-of-pocket costs for Collaborative Care within primary care at UW Health. These costs may include copays.
Collaborative Care Billing Codes
Your insurance may ask you the billing codes. These are some CPT code charges:
99492
99493
99494
G2214