Lizheng Shi, PhD, MSPharm, MA

Integrating behavioral health into primary care is cost-effective from the US health system perspective, with reduced prescription drug expenses being a key driver of these savings.

CMS began reimbursement for non–face-to-face chronic care management in 2015, and results from Louisiana show that it increases outpatient visits but decreases inpatient and emergency department encounters.

The role of federally qualified health centers is evaluated in serving uninsured patients and providing need-based, reduced-cost prescription medications in the post–Affordable Care Act landscape.