In today’s healthcare landscape, ensuring that individuals with behavioral health challenges receive the appropriate treatment is no easy feat. With rising costs, fragmented services, and growing demand, the role of care navigation in the behavioral health field has never been more critical. As an essential part of the healthcare system, care navigation helps connect individuals to the resources and treatments they need while overcoming barriers such as access, stigma, and financial strain. In a recent Voices interview with Vatsala Kapur, Vice President of External Affairs at Bamboo Health, we explored the complexities of care navigation and the steps organizations like Bamboo Health are taking to address these challenges. Kapur’s insights shed light on the evolving role of technology and a dedicated workforce in overcoming the barriers to care that many behavioral health patients face.
The Importance of Care Navigation in Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health Business: Vatsala, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. To start, can you explain the role of care navigation and why it’s so crucial, especially in behavioral health care?
Vatsala Kapur: Absolutely, and thank you for having me. Care navigation, at its core, is about helping individuals and families navigate the complex healthcare system to ensure they get the right treatment at the right time. This is particularly important in behavioral health, where the system can often feel fragmented and overwhelming, especially for vulnerable populations.
The challenge we face in behavioral health is that many individuals—particularly those who rely on Medicaid and Medicare—experience high rates of missed appointments, poor medication adherence, and repeated emergency room visits. These challenges add significant costs to the system and, more importantly, they prevent patients from receiving the consistent, continuous care they need to improve their mental and physical health.
To address these issues, it’s critical that we create a streamlined and efficient care navigation process. With the help of technology, we can not only connect individuals to care but also ensure they remain engaged with their treatment plans, leading to better outcomes and fewer hospitalizations. At Bamboo Health, we empower providers with real-time insights and interventions that allow them to take action at pivotal moments. This not only improves patient outcomes but also reduces overall healthcare costs. By expanding the workforce with dedicated, qualified behavioral health staff, we ensure that more people have access to the right support without adding to the burden of existing healthcare professionals.
Overcoming the Key Challenges in Care Navigation
Behavioral Health Business: What are some of the major challenges that care navigation teams must address to ensure that patients receive the appropriate treatment?
Vatsala Kapur: There are a few key challenges that care navigation teams face. One of the most significant is the cost of care. We know that individuals with behavioral health conditions incur significantly higher costs—around $8,720 more annually—compared to those without such conditions. For individuals insured through Medicaid or Medicare, the financial strain is even more pronounced. These individuals often face obstacles in accessing care due to lack of insurance coverage, high out-of-pocket costs, or insufficient access to treatment providers.
On top of the financial barriers, many individuals simply don’t know where to go for help. Behavioral health services are often difficult to find, and navigating the system can be confusing. Whether it’s understanding where to go for therapy, finding the right medications, or figuring out what services are covered by insurance, the process can be overwhelming for those in need of support.
Then, there’s the stigma. While we’ve made significant strides in reducing the stigma around mental health and substance use disorders, certain populations still face strong social barriers to seeking treatment. This is particularly true in rural and frontier communities, where the visibility of seeking behavioral health care can lead to feelings of shame or judgment. For individuals in these areas, even reaching out for help can feel like an insurmountable challenge.
Finally, we’re also seeing provider burnout at an alarming rate. Behavioral health providers are facing intense stress and workload demands, which can lead to staff shortages and higher turnover. With fewer providers available to serve the growing need for care, it becomes even harder to ensure that individuals get the treatment they need.
The Urgency of Providing Care to Vulnerable Populations
Behavioral Health Business: Why is it so important that vulnerable populations receive the care they need?
Vatsala Kapur: It’s absolutely vital for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it’s the right thing to do. Behavioral health challenges, such as mental health and substance use disorders, are widespread across communities, and they impact everyone—our family members, our neighbors, and our friends. Whether it’s depression, anxiety, or substance use, these issues don’t just affect individuals; they have a ripple effect that impacts families, communities, and society at large.
From an economic perspective, mental health and substance use disorders are responsible for approximately 10% to 15% of total healthcare expenditures in the U.S. This is a huge financial burden. Beyond the direct health costs, we also see significant economic consequences. For example, depression and anxiety disorders contribute to a loss of $1 trillion in global productivity annually.
In particular, young people are bearing the brunt of the behavioral health crisis, exacerbated by the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. For students, mental health challenges can severely disrupt their educational outcomes. High school students with symptoms of depression are twice as likely to drop out, and students with mental or emotional health concerns are three times more likely to repeat a grade. These academic struggles have lifelong consequences for their ability to succeed as adults.
At Bamboo Health, we understand that improving behavioral health outcomes isn’t just about treating individuals—it’s about improving the wellbeing of entire communities. Addressing behavioral health not only helps people lead healthier, more fulfilling lives, but it also contributes to the broader goal of economic stability and growth.
Reducing Administrative Burdens for States and Providers
Behavioral Health Business: How does improving care navigation help reduce administrative burdens for states and providers?
Vatsala Kapur: State governments are constantly grappling with budget pressures and the need to address the growing demand for health services. When it comes to behavioral health, these pressures are compounded by a lack of resources, high provider burnout, and the rising costs of care.
Real-time care navigation technology has the potential to ease these burdens significantly. By using data and insights to intervene in real time, we can help providers deliver more effective care without needing to add to their already stretched resources. This can prevent costly emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and other high-cost interventions.
From a state budget perspective, improving care navigation can lead to cost savings by shifting funds from high-cost emergency care to more preventative, outpatient services. The savings generated could then be used for other important community needs, such as education or public health initiatives. It’s a win-win for everyone involved: patients get the care they need, providers are supported, and states can make more efficient use of their budgets.
Personal Insights and Career Reflections
Behavioral Health Business: Can you share a bit about your personal and career experiences that have influenced your approach to your role at Bamboo Health?
Vatsala Kapur: Absolutely. As a mother of two, watching my children grow up and navigate their own educational and life journeys has had a profound impact on how I think about healthcare. I want them to live fulfilling lives, and I believe that access to high-quality healthcare is a fundamental part of that. This personal perspective drives me every day to advocate for improvements in healthcare delivery.
From a professional standpoint, I’ve been fortunate to have had exposure to both the technology and healthcare sectors. This experience has shown me the power of innovation in transforming healthcare delivery. At Bamboo Health, we’re not just about providing technology; we’re about using that technology to drive meaningful change. That means focusing on care navigation, ensuring that individuals can get the treatment they need when they need it, and ultimately improving lives across the country.
Looking Ahead: Defining 2025 in Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health Business: To close, how do you think the behavioral health space will evolve by 2025?
Vatsala Kapur: I believe 2025 will be defined by increased demand for behavioral health services and care delivery innovation. We’re going to see more organizations investing in solutions that tackle access issues head-on, including leveraging real-time care navigation technology and workforce expansion to combat burnout. The demand for care will only continue to rise, and it’s essential that we stay ahead of the curve, providing solutions that ensure every person can access the care they need.
At Bamboo Health, we’re deeply committed to helping providers navigate this complex space. We’ll continue to innovate, provide timely interventions, and support providers in delivering life-changing care to those who need it most.
Conclusion
The landscape of behavioral health care is complex and constantly evolving. As Vatsala Kapur shared, the importance of effective care navigation cannot be overstated, especially as more people seek support for mental health and substance use disorders. By leveraging technology and expanding the workforce, organizations like Bamboo Health are paving the way for a future where individuals receive the care they need, when they need it, in a system that is both efficient and compassionate. As we look ahead to 2025, it’s clear that care navigation will remain a critical component of transforming behavioral health care delivery, ensuring better outcomes for individuals and communities alike.
