Estimated Staff Time Effort, Costs, and Medicaid Revenues for Coordinated Specialty Care Clinics Serving Clients With First-Episode Psychosis

What is it about?

As coordinated specialty care teams for first episode psychosis are implemented nationally, questions arise regarding financial sustainability. To address this, New York State undertook a time study in which 13 coordinated specialty care sites reported all activities provided to 75 randomly selected Medicaid clients with first episode psychosis over a 2-week period. The average estimated cost was $1,375 per client per month, yet under optimal billing conditions, estimated revenues were only $662 per client per month or 48% of the costs. These results underscore the need for continued subsidies and novel payment schemes for coordinated specialty care.

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