Expanding Access to Mental Health Care: How Employers Can (and Should) Take the Initiative

We are witnessing a mental health crisis unfolding in this country. The Covid-19 pandemic turned many employees into essential workers overnight while others became estranged, indefinitely. Schools went virtual, family members were separated, there was a barrage of negative news every day, and life as we knew it was set aside. Many Americans have spent most of a year in some form of isolation, and this has taken its toll on our collective mental health. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 41% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders. Before the pandemic, that number was 1 in 10.

Related: Stress, Anxiety & Chronic Back Pain: 3 Ways Employers Can Help

Employees face a new set of challenges as they return to “normalcy” while managing the fallout from the past year. Employees struggling with feelings of depression and anxiety are more likely to experience stress, have higher absenteeism rates, and lower productivity rates. According to the American Psychiatric Association, employees with unresolved depression experience a 35% reduction in productivity, contributing to a loss of $ 210.5 billion per year in absenteeism, reduced productivity and higher medical costs. students. In addition to the challenge, we also face a nationwide shortage of mental health care providers, making it difficult to seek care.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, however, in the form of engaged employers. U.S. businesses can help alleviate the growing crisis in employee mental health by addressing three key barriers: access to mental health care, the costs associated with it, and the stigma associated with it.

Increase access

When companies provide access to health services for their employees, including mental health care, their employees experience better health outcomes, which in turn helps improve productivity and reduce medical claims. Employers who provide on-site preventive health care are able to offer their employees exclusive access to a health center where they will not need to compete with the general public for appointments. This is particularly critical for mental health care, but is beneficial for all forms of preventive care.

You may also like

By providing better access, virtually no wait times, and personalized, rush-free appointments to their employee population, employers are reaping the benefits of a healthier workforce. Employers realize an average annual savings of approximately $ 2,000 per employee per year in health care costs when they provide access to an onsite preventive health care clinic. This adds to the financial benefits of having happier, healthier and more productive employees.

Manage the cost

There is a double hurdle that employers have to deal with – there is the cost to the employee (often chargeable) and the cost to the employer (often out of control). 156 million Americans receive health insurance through their employer, but often mental health care services are not fully covered. This is often because these employers are self-insured, which means they pay employee health care claims themselves.

Many mental health providers don’t take out insurance, which means patients have to pay out of pocket, which can cost anywhere from $ 75 to $ 200 per session. For some, these costs are an insurmountable barrier to seeking mental health care. One solution is for businesses to work with a workplace healthcare partner to mitigate these costs by converting their healthcare expenses into paid expenses.

Unlike the established healthcare industry which encourages volume (doctors are paid for each visit / interaction with a patient), an employer-based healthcare provider can work with companies to establish healthcare services. primary with a tariff structure. Because the healthcare partner is not paid for each appointment, they can instead focus on patient health outcomes – working with patients to manage chronic issues like high blood pressure and diabetes and providing key services such as mental health care. This helps produce healthier employees while also providing significant savings on overall health care expenses, even with mental health.

Remove stigma

Unfortunately, there are still people who stigmatize seeking mental health support, but employers can help remove these barriers in a number of ways:

• Open a dialogue – Access to mental health services is only part of the equation. Getting employees to use these benefits is another issue. Company management can help here. When managers and leaders speak openly about the importance of mental health, especially their own experiences, it helps break down the stigma that is in place. Leaders should have these conversations in a variety of outlets and formats – one-on-one, groups, etc. – so that it becomes part of the natural speech (not something to fear) and gives employees a space to take care of themselves.
• Linking mental health to professional development – Mental health professionals can provide employees with a number of skills necessary to aid them in their professional development – from conflict resolution to stress relief or improving communication skills. These skills not only aid professional development, but also give employees the tools they need to navigate their own social and emotional lives, helping them to strengthen their personal mental health. Once employees have been introduced to mental health care providers through professional development, this removes barriers for those same employees to seek support for mental health care if and when it is needed.
• Offer continuing education – Some employers use monthly webinars on mental health topics to educate employees about access to care and to encourage participation. These webinars can be recorded so that employees can participate live or view them later, at a time that is more convenient for them. Mental health professionals can discuss topics ranging from stress management to grief and bereavement to parenting – and provide practical tools that will enable employees to deal with these situations.
• Create peer-to-peer opportunities – Employee support groups (organized and supported by a mental health professional) can provide a safe place for employees to discuss issues and talk about the benefits of mental health care. Many people are reluctant to seek mental health treatment, but are willing to join a club or peer group to discuss the issues and test the water. Many employee support groups can take the form of book clubs, where the topics of the books read relate directly to the issues employees face today – such as teen parent / guardian navigation and the stress involved. result.

While many are calling for a “return to normal”, it is clear that “normal” will not look like it was before COVID. Many companies are turning to hybrid work environments, people are moving and changing not only jobs but entire careers, and many of the stresses that have resulted from the past year do not go away easily.

What is certain is that companies that support the mental health of their employees will be better equipped to deal with whatever comes next. Employers across the country have the opportunity to play a leadership role in managing the current mental health crisis – and those who step up will be better off – with healthier employees and better bottom lines. healthy.

Jeff Wells, MD, is the CEO and Co-Founder of Marathon Health, an employer-based healthcare provider with on-site and nearby clinics in more than 40 states nationwide, serving employers large and small by providing preventive health care for their employees and family members. .