How Health Plans Provide Effective Mental Health Support to Members

December 06, 2021 - Despite mental illness being among the most common health conditions in the United States, individuals still struggle to find mental health support, a situation further exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

With demand for mental healthcare rising and the number of available providers shrinking, members are turning to their health plans for assistance but are coming away disappointed. However, health plans can meet members’ needs by building a virtual behavioral health strategy based on best practices for health education, provider communication, and personalized support.

State of mental health

Mental illnesses were prevalent before the emergence of COVID-19, but the pandemic has brought greater attention to these health conditions as well as contributed to more instances.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 50 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental health condition at some point in their lives, with 20 percent experiencing mental illness in a given year and a similar percentage of children likely to have a seriously debilitating mental illness. Troublesomely, depression — one of the leading causes of disability — increases the risk that an individual will suffer from physical health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. What’s more, chronic disease increases the risk for mental illness.

Members are turning to their health plans to address their mental health needs and finding the experience to be one of frustration. In 2021, Wellframe surveyed 1,126 health plan members across the US to better understand the expectations of healthcare consumers, with mental health serving as a key feature of the survey.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents reported experiencing a chronic condition, with the most common including arthritis (17 percent), mood disorders (16 percent), asthma (12 percent), and diabetes (12 percent). In addition, nearly half of those with a chronic condition (45 percent) sought support from their health plan for a mental health concern during the pandemic, compared to 26 percent without a chronic condition.

Since the pandemic’s start in March 2020, 38 percent of consumers have sought support from their health plan for mental health concerns. And 65 percent of members with mood disorders (depression, anxiety, etc.) sought mental health support from their health plan.

Despite more members turning to their health plans for health support, only 16 percent of respondents strongly agreed that their insurance provider cares about their overall well-being. Of those seeking support or guidance from their health plans, 42 percent found the experience frustrating.

Fortunately, health plan members are optimistic about the power of virtual health tools to address their health concerns. Fifty-seven percent of respondents would use a digital health tool that offered virtual health coaching.

Building a virtual behavioral strategy

With a third of Americans showing signs of mental health illness (e.g., anxiety, depression) because of the pandemic, the time is ripe for health plans to develop a virtual behavioral health strategy to assist their members with their mental health needs whenever and wherever they find themselves in search of help.

Health plans should leverage best practices to ensure the success of their virtual behavioral health approach.

Make health education simple: Members benefit the most from digitized, disease-specific programs for depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Simplifying behavioral health information into a personalized daily to-list empowers members with knowledge of their condition and strategies for managing them.

Leverage trusted relationships: Digital health programs must connect members with real clinicians, social workers, or other health professionals to achieve their goals. Omnichannel communication options (e.g., texting, video chat, phone calls, emails) support care management relationships that promote long-term health improvement.

Screen for barriers to mental health: Mobile screening, surveys, and tailored messaging can reveal barriers in the way of members seeking and adhering to mental health support. By including these screening mechanisms alongside personalized guidance and support, the health plan can ascertain more insight from its members.

Provide discreet and convenient guidance: Cultural attitudes around mental health often prevent individuals from discussing and seeking care. Offering a mix of guided programs and self-service options whenever the member is ready to use them fosters engagement and gives individuals greater control over their mental health.

Make the member’s journey personal: One-size-fits-all doesn’t work in the healthcare world. Effective behavioral health management must focus on the specific health needs of individual members, which evolve and change over time. Flexibility is key to sharing additional resources as the situation arises.

The healthcare industry still has much to learn about mental health. Health plans can play a central role in supporting their members’ mental health needs by creating accessible and easy-to-understand content and services. Doing so ensures that members have the greatest chances of achieving improvements to their overall health and well-being over the near, mid, and long term.

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Wellframe partners with health plans nationwide to reimagine member relationships. With solutions for care management and advocacy, the Wellframe Digital Health Management platform empowers health plans to become a trusted advocate for all their members' health needs. Learn more at wellframe.com.

Visit the Focus on Member Experience, sponsored by Wellframe!