NACHC: Integrated Behavioral Health Is Working in CHCs, but Payment Reform Has to Catch Up
NACHC's June 29 national brief argues that community health centers have proven integrated primary care and behavioral health can work, but current payment structures still underpay same-day behavioral health access, care coordination, telehealth infrastructure, and risk adjustment for complex patients. The brief cites 34 million annual CHC patients, nearly 3.3 million behavioral-health patients in 2024, telehealth adoption rising from 42% to 98% between 2019 and 2024, and Medicaid supplying 44% of total CHC revenue — making stable Medicaid coverage and VBC models central to sustaining integrated care.
Key takeaways
- The operating thesis is national: integrated behavioral health needs payment for same-day access, care coordination, telehealth infrastructure, and non-visit team work.
- For FQHCs, Medicaid stability is the load-bearing issue because Medicaid accounts for 44% of total CHC revenue in the NACHC framing.
Linked evidence
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FQHC Talent. (2026, June 29). NACHC: Integrated Behavioral Health Is Working in CHCs, but Payment Reform Has to Catch Up. Linked evidence: NACHC. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/nachc-integrated-behavioral-health-structural-reform-june-2026
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