A new report from the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) indicated that managed care plans’ best opportunity to treat substance abuse disorders may come when population health analytics are employed to identify at-risk patients and steer them into case management.

“There’s a real need for comprehensive care for opioid addiction and other substance use disorders. Safety Net Health Plans meet that need by aptly coordinating comprehensive care,” ACAP CEO Margaret A. Murray told HealthPayerIntelligence‘s Thomas Beaton.

“Strong community ties and [a] track record of serving vulnerable populations inform Safety Net Health Plans’ case management,” Murray said, “and help people get complete care.”

Using population health analytic techniques — like correlating patient clinical data and socioeconomic data — to identify and proactively treat behavioral health issues could help managed care providers to improve patient engagement and compliance, ACAP advised.

However, lack of interoperability, the organization warned, still poses significant challenges for managed care plans that wish to do so.

Learn more here, in HealthPayerIntelligence.