Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

A Partial Hospitalization Program provides hospital-level care without an overnight stay, typically 20+ hours per week. PHPs are the behavioral health equivalent of day surgery or medical day programs. Because PHPs are more intensive and expensive than IOPs, they are frequently subject to stringent prior authorization and concurrent review. PHP denials are strong MHPAEA candidates: compare the payer's medical necessity standard for medical day programs.