About 1 out of 7 children aged 3 to 17 has a current and diagnosed behavioral state of health, according to CDC data. Anxiety problems, behavioral disorders and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental health problems in children.
These conditions have a significant impact on individuals and families – as well as notable financial impact. A milliman study, commissioned by means of mental health and consumption of substances, examined data on commercial health care claims for 21 million people. The researchers found that 27% of the people in the study group had a behavioral health state – but this cohort represented almost 57% of the total health care costs.
These costs are not simply the result of specific health treatment such as the advice or management of psychiatric drugs. They are also attributable to the fact that the cost of processing medical conditions is 3 to 6 times higher when a behavioral health is present due to the deleterious effects of behavioral conditions on physical health.
All of this data highlights the significant and growing need for behavioral health services. What many considered as a temporary request linked to COVID-19 does not naturally solve over time. Instead, demand continues to increase – and as an approved psychologist, I can talk about the deep need to make health care more accessible to our patients.
Here is what this means – there are obstacles that we must overcome, there are actions that we must take, and there are fascinating technological innovations at our disposal.
Challenges to access behavioral health care
Our society still stigmatizes mental and behavioral health problems, creating one of the first and most debilitating obstacles to care. For those looking for care, there is a shortage of behavioral health providers, which can cause limited options and long waiting times. In rural areas, the shortage of service providers is only exacerbated, which requires that certain patients roam important distances to receive care in person. This creates a training effect; While people share their experiences with delays and frustrations, this can prevent others from trying to even try to seek their own care.
Conversation around access to care has been around for some time now. But “access” is actually a shortcut For Navigate effectively on the entire continuum of care, which is easier to say than to do. Once patients are starting to look for care, they often need help to identify their options, assess what works best for their needs and remain engaged in this care for the duration of which it is necessary.
For those who have health insurance, health plans should allow patients to easily move into the health care system to find, understand and use behavioral care options.
The role of health plans in the more accessible appointment
Health insurers are working to meet their members with the programs and tools they need when they need it. However, this is only the beginning. The plans must make these choices of behavioral health care visible, understandable and easy to act.
For many patients and families, one of the first challenges is to know where to start. Behavioral health may seem overwhelming, especially when an individual or a family member is already in distress.
Members often do not know what resources are available, which is covered by their plan or even the type of support they need – from evaluation and crisis support to therapy and drugs. Insurers are in a unique position to connect points to supplier’s digital networks, programs and tools.
Health plans can help people understand what is available, adapt the options of their situation and encourage action at the right time. They must be determined to appropriate for this patient experience, so that people do not fall through the meshes of the net – in particular people with high needs or limited access.
Accessibility in practice
To do this, insurers use a variety of strategies, in particular the implementation of a full commitment strategy of members to surface behavioral health needs earlier and help members to connect with Care in a more personalized way. To support the desired results, potential awareness -based awareness -based reports in care, such as a member has frequent emergency visits but no behavioral health monitoring, or a new diagnosis that passes for a member’s dependence.
And, although the identification of these shortcomings is important, the following steps are crucial. Members need advice on the right follow -up – whether coaching, therapy or digital tools – and helping to understand how to use their advantages to get care that best meets their needs.
There is no unique solution to connect with the members and keep them engaged. Insurers benefit from several communication channels, including websites and resources accessible to the public, platforms and tools for owners, and telephone lines where individuals can speak directly to representatives for the help of navigation.
Technology and innovation in behavioral health care
New technologies offer important opportunities, from connection with members to provide virtual care – but it is important to find the right applications and the public for each technology. Older patients can still feel more comfortable and anchored to speak to representatives and providers on the phone or in person, while many patients under the age of 30 can be more open to reception – or even prefer – digital communications and virtual care.
The right solution can also vary depending on the situation. A patient who is looking for strategies to navigate in certain problems of basic life adjustment or a temporary stressor can find a useful chatbot. However, a patient with depression or severe anxiety may require a more personal and in -depth form of intervention and commitment.
The good news is that there has been an important evolution in the use of technology to deal with behavioral health problems. Although this transformation has started more generically with the first forms of telehealth, we now see more advanced options such as portable devices for behavioral health and digital therapy, where people can self-administer therapies. Many companies have emerged in the past decade, developing and deploying technological solutions to combat behavioral health in the way we never considered it.
The promise of current and future technologies is encouraging – and it still highlights the importance of building the right support systems to help patients navigate the system and access appropriate care at the right time. This need will only grow as the number of solutions develops and technology is evolving. It is a question of reducing friction, not only to facilitate this first step a little more easily in access to care, but to continue to make each next step on the path of better health.
Photo: Olaser, Getty Images
As a vice-president of behavioral health and mental health parity, Brett Hart directs Blue Cross and Blue Shield of strategic development and the provision of Minnesota behavioral products and services. It guides and supports all innovations on behavioral health designed to provide members with ease of access to the highest quality services in a timely manner, emphasizing well-being, health equity and parity.
Brett arrives in Blue Cross with more than twenty-five years of experience in the health industry. Before joining Blue Cross in October 2023, he spent more than four years in Centene Corporation, based in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was first Director of Behavioral Health before being promoted to the Chief Exploitation of the Medical Strategy. Before Centene, Brett spent 19 years in Optum.brett obtained his doctorate. In clinical psychology at the University of Saint-Louis and approved psychologist.
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