In the hopes of saving state and federal funds, some Medicaid programs have started to try and blend mental and physical health care for patients. In doing so, these providers are able to help the patient in their entirety. According to a psychiatrist in Minneapolis, these patients are “High-use patients, they’re not necessarily high-need patients” meaning they use more care than they would otherwise need.

In Tennessee, their Medicaid’s interdisciplinary program pays bonuses to mental health care providers who help their patients with care related to their physical health. Although the program is only a few years old, studies have shown that this program could potentially save hundreds of dollars per person, per year.