Apple Health integrates physical and behavioral health statewide

On Jan. 1, 2020, the Health Care Authority (HCA) finished a five-year effort to combine physical health, mental health and substance use disorder treatment services into one system. Previously, Apple Health clients with co-occurring disorders were forced to navigate three separate systems to access services. This is essential in focusing on whole-person health for the almost 2 million Apple Health clients. While several of the nine regions around the state chose to integrate care ahead of the mandatory Jan. 2020 deadline, the final three (Great Rivers, Salish and Thurston-Mason) integrated care at the beginning of this month. The integration was part of the HCA’s value-based purchasing roadmap, and a result of Senate Bill 6312, which was passed in 2014.