April 26, 2021
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental Health Month is recognized with community outreach events and educational opportunities to promote importance of understanding, recognizing, and focusing mental health issues and conditions within the community.
Facts about mental health:
- In 2015, an estimated 43.4 million American adults were diagnosed with mental illness and an estimated 9.8 million American adults were diagnosed with mental illness that affected some part of daily functioning.
- In 2015, about one in every five adults in the US was diagnosed with mental illness and about one in every 25 adults in the US was diagnosed with mental illness that affected some part of daily functioning.
- Severe depression affects 6.9 % of people in the US.
- Anxiety disorders affect 18% of people in the US
- Individuals diagnosed with heart disease are twice as likely to get diagnosed with depression as those who do not.
According to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) , millions of Americans each year are living with mental illness. (Mental Health Month | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness, n.d.) NAMI’ s theme for Mental Health Awareness Month is “You Are Not Alone”. Even though there are many different options available to help screen and treat mental health conditions, about two-thirds of the individuals that have a mental health condition never talk to their health care provider or obtain treatment for their condition. Depression screening is part of the Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE) and the Annual Wellness Visit (MLN6775421 Medicare Wellness Visits Educational Tool). Depression screening is a Medicare-covered benefit for your patients. Talk to your patients about their mental health, encourage them to schedule annual wellness visit , perform depression screenings as indicated, and provide effective treatment and follow-up after depression screenings in order to promote optimal mental health and well-being in your patients.
Type of Service | HCPCS Code CPT code |
Notes | Link on CMS Medicare Preventive Services Website |
---|---|---|---|
Depression Screening | HCPCS code G0444 |
|
Depression Screening |
Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) | HCPCS code G0438 HCPCS code G0439 HCPCS code G0468 CPT code 99497 CPT code 99498 |
|
Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) |
Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE) (“Welcome to Medicare Visit”) |
HCPCS code G0402 HCPCS code G0403 HCPCS code G0404 HCPCS code G0405 HCPCS code G0468 |
|
Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE) |
For More Information:
- National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Screening for Depression in Adults (210.9) (cms.gov)
- MLN Matters® Number: MM7637 Screening for Depression in Adults
- MLN Educational Tool - MLN 6775421Medicare Wellness Visits website
- Mental Health Month | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness website
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Mental Health website
- Mental Health Month | Mental Health America (mhanational.org) website
- CMS Medicare Preventive Services website
- Medicare.gov Your Guide to Medicare Preventive Services
References:
- Learn About Mental Health - Mental Health - CDC. (2018, January 26). Learn About Mental Health. https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
- Mental Health Awareness Month: The Facts You Should Know. (2018, May 16). Mental Health Awareness Month: The Facts You Should Know. https://gomohealth.com/2018/mental-health-awareness-month-the-facts-you-should-know/
- Mental Health Month | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. Mental Health Awareness Month. https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Mental-Health-Month