Strengthening Depression Screening and Follow‑Up to Improve Member Outcomes 

Depression is one of the most commonly missed conditions in older adults, and untreated symptoms can worsen chronic disease outcomes, reduce medication adherence, and diminish quality of life. Annual screening and timely follow‑up remain best practices for supporting whole‑person health. 

How You Can Support Members 

Using a standardized screening tool each year and documenting results helps identify members who may benefit from additional support. When moderate or severe symptoms are identified, timely follow‑up can improve functioning, engagement in care, and symptom stability. 

To ensure VNS Health can support appropriate care coordination, please remember to bill and code completed depression screenings and the screening results. We are seeing strong evidence that screenings are being performed, but many are not appearing on claims. Without accurate coding, the plan has limited visibility into which members have been screened and what their outcomes were, which affects our ability to coordinate follow‑up care and connect members to needed behavioral health resources. 

Reducing Stigma and Improving Engagement 

Members are more likely to participate in screening and follow‑up when behavioral health is discussed in a respectful, culturally sensitive way. Effective approaches include: 

• Normalizing conversations about mood and emotional well‑being 

• Using language that reflects members’ cultural values and lived experiences  

• Connecting members to culturally competent behavioral health providers and community supports