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HEALTH EQUITY REPORT

Behavioral health disparities

Health equity begins with access to care. The number of mental health specialists who accept our coverage rose 9% between 2022-2023 and another 20% between 2023-2024.
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WHAT WE KNOW

In 2022, 20.3% of Tennessee adults reported their mental health was not good for at least 14 days of the past 30 days. That’s up from 13.72% in 2017

Everyone deserves to pursue their health goals, but some communities have historically been left behind. We’re committed to health equity, and it starts with a better understanding of the challenges our neighbors face.

Key facts about behavioral health disparities in Tennessee1

Tennessee ranks
46th
in overall youth mental health
In 2022, the suicide rate in Tennessee was
19%
higher than the national rate
In 2022,
20.3%
of adults reported frequent mental distress, compared to 15.8% nationally
Only
6
states have higher rates of adverse childhood experiences than Tennessee

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By the numbers: behavioral health for

This data shows how likely members are to receive certain screenings, care or treatments, broken down by race. Each data measure has a specific definition provided under “See More.”

We split the data by type of health plan because we know that, generally speaking, Medicaid members tend to face more social risk factors and health disparities than people with commercial health plans.

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Social factors drive health outcomes

We know that food, housing and literacy are just a few of the social factors that influence a person's health journey. That's why we developed a Social Risk Index to understand and support our members' needs.

Find out more
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Addressing social drivers of health related to behavioral health

We're providing culturally competent care training to health care providers to help members get the support they need and to address health disparities preventing members from getting certain screenings or treatment for mental health issues.

ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY
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Data Sources

The NCQA HEDIS measure specification has been adjusted pursuant to NCQA’s Rules for Allowable Adjustments of HEDIS. The adjusted measure specification may be used only for internal quality improvement purposes.

All stratified rates are based on data from BCBST administrative systems only. No attempt was made to manually abstract data from patients’ medical records.

HEDIS® – The Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is a registered trademark of NCQA.