The Behavioral Health Underground Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:53:07 -0400 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2610657 en-us © 2026 The Behavioral Health Underground yes 62263463-c4fa-5b80-b651-fc562393ce02 Sonda Kunzi and Gary Humble episodic false You think your organization is fine.


Claims are going out. Payments are coming in. Funding is in place.


But behind the scenes?  Revenue is leaking. Documentation doesn’t fully support what’s billed. Patient liability is unclear. And value-based care is being talked about but not operationalized.


Sonda Kunzi and Gary Humble take a direct look at what’s actually happening inside behavioral health organizations.

From Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payer challenges to credentialing breakdowns, audit risk, and the realities of grant and board funding, they connect the dots between how services are delivered—and how organizations actually survive.


Based in Ohio with experience across multiple states, they focus on what doesn’t change: the fundamentals that drive compliance, financial stability, and long-term success.


If you’re leading, managing, or responsible for the business side of behavioral health, this is the conversation you should already be having.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Sonda Kunzi and Gary Humble https://storage.buzzsprout.com/vxhndfugs0582bczjzx7q1jabb0i?.jpg The Behavioral Health Underground https://www.buzzsprout.com/2610657 The Perfect Storm: Prior Authorization, Denials, and Behavioral Health Survival The Perfect Storm: Prior Authorization, Denials, and Behavioral Health Survival Behavioral health organizations are facing a perfect storm: expanding prior authorization requirements, increased prepayment and post-payment reviews, more clinical denials, and growing pressure on already-thin cash reserves.

In the first episode of Behavioral Health Underground, Sonda Kunzi and Gary Humble examine what these changes mean for mental health and substance use disorder providers. They discuss the operational burden of utilization management, the importance of peer-to-peer reviews and appeals, the risks of billing a lower level of care when a higher level was delivered, and why strong documentation must reflect more than clinical need alone.

The rules have changed, and delivering excellent care is no longer enough to keep an organization financially stable. Behavioral health leaders must understand payer expectations, build stronger relationships with managed care organizations, and run the business side of their mission with the same intention they bring to patient care.

Gary's Links For You:

Sonda's Links For You:

]]> Behavioral health organizations are facing a perfect storm: expanding prior authorization requirements, increased prepayment and post-payment reviews, more clinical denials, and growing pressure on already-thin cash reserves.

In the first episode of Behavioral Health Underground, Sonda Kunzi and Gary Humble examine what these changes mean for mental health and substance use disorder providers. They discuss the operational burden of utilization management, the importance of peer-to-peer reviews and appeals, the risks of billing a lower level of care when a higher level was delivered, and why strong documentation must reflect more than clinical need alone.

The rules have changed, and delivering excellent care is no longer enough to keep an organization financially stable. Behavioral health leaders must understand payer expectations, build stronger relationships with managed care organizations, and run the business side of their mission with the same intention they bring to patient care.

Gary's Links For You:

Sonda's Links For You:

]]> Sonda Kunzi and Gary Humble Buzzsprout-19711673 Thu, 27 Aug 2026 11:00:00 -0400 2220 1 1 full false