5 FAQs About Behavioral Health Integration Services

With so many Americans lacking access to behavioral health care and a persistent stigma around mental health treatment, it should come as no surprise that the nation is grappling with a growing behavioral health crisis. That’s where Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) comes in. BHI is a care management program that integrates behavioral health into primary care and reimburses the work care teams are already doing. Below are answers to five frequently asked questions about BHI.

1. What Are Behavioral Health Integration Services?

Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) is a care program that integrates mental health and substance use treatment into primary care settings, bridging the gap between medical and behavioral health care.

2. What’s the Difference Between General BHI and CoCM?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimburses practices for two types of BHI services: General BHI and the Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). Both serve to integrate behavioral health into primary care, but they differ in how they’re structured, the team members involved, and their respective billing codes. Each practice can choose the most appropriate model based on a variety of factors including size, staff capabilities, or patient population.

Let’s take a closer look at the specifics of the two models below.

General BHI

General BHI is a flexible model commonly found in primary care settings. Because a psychiatric consultant and designated behavioral health care manager aren’t required, this model tends to be more accessible to primary care practices.

Care Team Members Involved:

• Treating (billing) practitioner: A physician or non-physician practitioner (NPP) that typically works in primary care but may have specialization in other areas (such as oncology or cardiology).
• Potential clinical staff: Either the billing practitioner performs the service in full, or they delegate it to other qualified clinical staff members.

Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model

CoCM is a more structured, evidence-based model with stricter requirements for who can deliver care. It’s especially suited to patients whose conditions aren’t improving under usual care.

Care Team Members Involved:

• Behavioral health care manager: A designated provider with formal education or specialized training in behavioral health (including social work, nursing, or psychology) operating under the oversight and direction of the billing practitioner.
• Psychiatric consultant: A medical professional who has received training in psychiatry and is qualified to prescribe medication.
• Treating (billing) practitioner: A physician or NPP that normally works in primary care but may have specialization in other areas.

3. Who is Eligible for Behavioral Health Integration Services?

Because CMS doesn’t limit billing and payment to a specific set of behavioral health conditions, BHI services are available (at the discretion of the billing practitioner) to patients with an identified mental, behavioral, or psychiatric condition, including substance use disorder. The diagnosis can either be pre-existing or made by the billing practitioner and can be revised at a later point if needed.

4. Can BHI and Chronic Care Management Services Be Performed Concurrently?

Yes, BHI and Chronic Care Management (CCM) services can be performed concurrently, as there is often overlap in their patient populations. For example, a patient suffering from both diabetes and depression may lack the motivation to follow through with their prescribed medication, exercise, and diet regimen, making it crucial to address both conditions. Patients receiving both BHI and CCM services typically demonstrate better self-management of their chronic conditions and experience fewer costly hospitalizations.

Note: Practices also have additional opportunities for reimbursement since BHI and CCM are billed separately.

5. What Are the Billing Codes for Behavioral Health Integration Services?

General BHI Billing Codes:

CPT 99484 includes at least 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a physician or other qualified health professional (QHP).

HCPCS G0323 covers at least 20 minutes of clinical psychologist or clinical social worker time per calendar month.

CoCM Billing Codes:

CPT 99492 serves to bill the first 70 minutes of CoCM services in the first calendar month. Must be performed by a behavioral health care manager in collaboration with a psychiatric consultant and the billing practitioner or other QHP.

CPT 99493 serves to bill for the first 60 minutes of CoCM services after the initial month. Must be performed by the behavioral health care manager in collaboration with a psychiatric consultant and the billing practitioner or other QHP.

CPT 99494 serves to bill each additional 30 minutes beyond the initial time covered under CPT 99492 or 99493.

HCPCS G2214 covers the first 30 minutes of CoCM services in a calendar month, performed by the behavioral health care manager in collaboration with a psychiatric consultant and directed by the billing practitioner or other QHP.

Recent Code Additions

Safety Planning and Crisis Care Codes

CMS continues to support patients at risk of suicide or overdose through two codes:

HCPCS G0560 covers safety planning interventions, billed in 20-minute increments when performed by the billing practitioner.

HCPCS G0544 covers post-crisis follow-up care, including up to four telephone follow-up calls per calendar month after discharge from an emergency department.

2026 APCM Add-On Codes

Beginning on January 1, 2026, CMS has added three new optional HCPCS codes for when General BHI and CoCM services are provided in the same month as Advanced Primary Care Management (APCM) services. The three add-on codes are as follows:

HCPCS G0568 and G0569 are intended for Psychiatric CoCM services delivered to patients also receiving APCM services.

HCPCS G0570 is meant for General BHI services delivered to patients who are also receiving APCM services.

Capture Every Billable Minute of Behavioral Health Care

Behavioral Health Integration services aren’t just essential to addressing the nation’s growing behavioral health crisis; they also deliver measurable financial value by generating revenue for practices and reducing costly hospitalizations. BHI allows providers to treat the whole patient while revealing additional reimbursement opportunities.

Get your free CCM Revenue Assessment to see your practice’s untapped revenue potential.