For the increasing number of individuals experiencing mental health needs, it is imperative that health plans be able to meet them with low barrier treatment approaches where they are, whether they are diagnosed at a routine primary care appointment, with a specialist monitoring a chronic condition, or as an acute case in the emergency department – and then to follow those individuals as they progress along their journey within a health network’s care continuum.

 

As health plans revamp their offerings to incorporate mental healthcare in new ways, it will be necessary to:

 

1. Revisit the traditional approach of covering only in-person therapy – which cannot be scaled to meet current or projected demand.

2. Critically evaluate any treatment offered within the health plan formulary to ensure members derive outcome value and the plan derives a positive return on investment.

3. Deploy mental healthcare that informs, and is informed, by other care team members In doing so, health plans will be better able to meet each member where they are on the spectrum of mental health needs.

 

Doing so with platforms that integrate seamlessly onto the clinical care continuum also improves access to mental health resources for members by creating new opportunities for clinicians to identify – and then act on – each members’ holistic behavioral health needs. It’s an approach that’s proven to improve member outcomes and reduce overall health costs.

 

In this White Paper, you will read that more people are seeking mental health support and seeking it in expensive places. This White Paper presents less expensive options that are proven to work.