Anthem

Enrollment ends December 15

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Mental health is primary care

— and Anthem is making it accessible to those in need

We live in a time when technology drives much of our lives. Increasingly, we work from our homes, a convenience that also tends to isolate us from our coworkers and friends and provides little relief or escape from the daily stressors we experience in our personal lives. Instead, the separate emotional and mental strains we experience at work and home blend into one crushing weight. Studies show that nearly 53 million U.S. adults are dealing with some sort of mental health issue. Meanwhile, our children are facing their own crisis through the anonymity and outsized expectations spread by social media. The National Institutes of Health say that nearly 20% of children and young people ages 3 to 17 have a mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral disorder. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for children between age 10 and 14.

None of that may come as news to us — after all, we’re living through it. But what we may not realize is that these mental health issues are also impacting our physical health. The two are inseparable. It’s also putting an added burden on our healthcare system with increased demand for therapists and psychologists, higher costs for out-of-network providers and challenges navigating an overabundance of digital care options. It’s time we accept that mental healthcare is primary care. That’s why Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire is working to address the challenges that face our mental healthcare system. “As the largest health insurance carrier in the state, it’s our obligation to think differently about behavioral health and how it impacts all aspects of our overall wellbeing,” says Maria Proulx, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire. “It’s also our duty to make sure that the highest quality behavioral health solutions are accessible to our members.” This includes keeping down costs and copays to ensure equitable access to quality behavioral healthcare, coordinating care between mental and physical healthcare clinicians, and using data to mitigate risk and close gaps in the system. In short, Anthem’s mission is to partner with people throughout their lives and be there for every aspect of their healthcare journey.

Lowering the cost of behavioral healthcare

It's time we accept that mental health care is primary care.

While online technology has been the root of many of our mental health problems, Anthem believes that it also plays a key role in our success. The company’s Virtual Primary Care blends primary care and behavioral healthcare into one medical group to enhance and coordinate across teams and offer virtual care over the internet. The applications make it easier to schedule and attend appointments, add comfort and privacy to screenings and sessions, provide round-the-clock resources, and make professionals and organizations accessible to anyone anywhere.

Virtual Care When (and Where) You Need It

Anthem partnerships aren’t just about utilizing technology. Sometimes, you need other ways to reach patients. That’s why Anthem is working with organizations that use cutting-edge approaches to preventing and treating mental health where patients are. For example, Nate Hudson of Farmington, NH, grew up in this state and has dealt with substance abuse disorder ever since he lost his best friend to suicide at age 17. He was in and out of treatment most of his adult life until a relapse into heroin spurred his wife, Devon, to say enough was enough. They had just given birth to their second child. He could either go to rehab, she said, or he was going to lose everything. Nate spent 60 days in in-patient rehabilitation, but he knew that that was only half the battle. The trick had always been picking his life back up when he got out of rehab. Fortunately for him, there was Aspire365. Aspire365 delivers a team of specialists directly to the home to help people struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. The idea is to help them achieve long-term success while maintaining contact and control with their family and professional lives. And they do so by literally showing up — discreetly — at a patient’s doorstep anywhere in any urban, suburban, or rural area, bringing treatment where and when people most need it. “We’re treating them where they are,” says Kristy Notarangelo, clinical director at Aspire365. “Sometimes going to in-patient treatment isn’t always the best option. You go in and get treated then come back and nothing’s changed, you’re in the same situation. We can sit with them, go to their car, on their porch, take a walk. We’re integrating treatment into their lives.” For Nate, Aspire365 offered a team of experts “at my fingertips,” he says. There were one-on-one sessions with a counselor and group sessions with his wife. He had a recovery coach who helped him set goals and achieve them. If he needed a nurse, they’d send one immediately. “They helped me get my life back,” says Nate. “And it was covered by my insurance,”* says Devon, an Anthem member through her work. “Therapists are expensive — they were covered through insurance. Thanks to Anthem, we’re still able to reach out to these people who really care about Nate’s recovery.” To learn more about Anthem, mental health resources, or find a New Hampshire individual health insurance plan that’s right for you, go to anthem.com. *DISCLAIMER: Out-of-pocket expenses vary by coverage. Anthem also offers cost-share reductions to eligible members. Eligibility is usually determined for individuals or families with incomes between 100% and 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. The lower an individual’s or family’s income is in relation to the FPL, the more substantial the cost-share reduction they may qualify for.

Partners in Care

We need to talk about mental health.

Patients are getting the gold standard of care without going bankrupt

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For example, Anthem’s Sydney Health app connects consumers to virtual visits with psychologists and therapists within 7 days (half the time needed for in-person scheduling) and appointments with substance use disorder providers within 48 hours.

Anthem is also partnering with other local organizations that have a proven track record of solutions in virtual mental healthcare. One such partner is InStride Health, a company that leverages technology and a team-based approach to helping children, teens, and young adults dealing with anxiety and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Each coordinated care team consists of a therapist, a psychiatrist, and an exposure coach that is dedicated to the child’s specific treatment. And through virtual technology, InStride Health team members can integrate themselves into the patient’s daily life, collaborate with schools, families, and pediatricians, and even be literally in the patient’s ear talking them through certain life situations in real time. Anthem has worked with InStride and other providers to ensure constant access to behavioral healthcare without having to be constantly paying for it. Not only has Anthem reduced copays to PCP levels across the board, but it has also worked with providers of mental and physical healthcare clinicians to coordinate care and bundle services into one monthly copayment. “There are not a lot of insurance providers that offer that sort of exposure and prevention,” says Meredith Tumilty, clinical psychologist, and therapist with InStride Health. “In our program, patients could have three, four, five sessions in a very short period of time. But they’re not paying $300 for each of those sessions. We are accepting insurance and working with Anthem to disrupt the traditional billing system. We’re making it financially affordable and logistically accessible."

Mental health is primary care. Get coverage today!

-Meredith Tumilty, PsyD (She/Her) Clinical Psychologist, InStride

Research shows that behavioral health is the sixth-highest driver of medical cost. In addition, Anthem has seen that about a third of its members have both a chronic physical condition and a behavioral health condition, and there is a 77% increase in physical health spend for members with both. As a result, untreated behavioral health conditions end up costing two- to three-times more per month in terms of medical costs than those getting treated. To address this rising demand and mitigate the cost, Anthem has expanded what was already the largest network of behavioral health providers in the state through Carelon Behavioral Health. Direct costs are just one barrier to accessing quality care. Another, of particular interest in rural New Hampshire, is physical access to behavioral health care professionals and facilities. This problem prevents people from seeking care for existing mental health issues like depression or anxiety. It’s difficult to measure precisely, but we do know that lack of access to preventive care like mental health screenings leads to significant costs — an estimated $320 billion in annual healthcare spending — that are avoidable.

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Behavioral Health

Emotional Well-being Resources

Employee Assistance Program

Self-paced support

Chat support

In-person care

Digital resources

Virtual counselling

Connecting individuals to customized programs and personalized treatment to meet their unique needs before, during, and after physical and mental health events

We have comprehensive solutions to serve complex needs

Did you know...

1 Anthem Commercial BHCM Program Evaluation, 2020. 2 Internal data: Behavioral Health Case Management Member Satisfaction Survey, Q1 – Q3 2022. 3 Anthem Internal data, Commercial members, 2022.

average inpatient medical savings.1

$1,152

average savings in total impactable medical costs for employees receiving Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment.1

$2,493

of members stated that our virtual self-guidance support improved their emotional health.3

72%

of employees show improvement in depression assessment.1

80%

of members were able to receive help with all their behavioral health needs in the last 12 months.2

90%

1 Anthem Commercial BHCM Program Evaluation, 2020. 2 Internal data: Behavioral Health Case Management Member Satisfaction Survey, Q1 – Q3 2022. 3 Anthem Internal data, Commercial members, 2022.

We have customized programs to improve outcomes and lower costs

Did you know...

Transforming data into powerful insights to manage risk and proactively close gaps in behavioral health

Targeted analytics

Coordinated care

Working together, our physical and behavioral health clinicians connect individuals to care that addresses their physical, social, and behavioral well-being

Navigating care faster with one of the nation’s largest networks of behavioral health professionals, including virtual providers

Access and quality

Transforming whole health through an integrated approach with physical and social needs, to help keep employees healthy and productive, while controlling costs

Anthem is your behavioral health partner

Did you know...

1 National Institute of Mental Health: Mental Illness (accessed March 14, 2023): nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness. 2 Anthem internal data, commercial 12 months between July 2021 to June 2022. 3 Anthem internal data, commercial rolling 12 months claims from December 2021 to November 2022 with runout through December 2022. 4 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: National Survey on Drug use and Health (accessed February 2023): samhsa.gov.

U.S. adults experience both mental illness and a substance use disorder 4

17m

U.S. adults have a mental health condition 1

52.9m

increase in physical health spend is for members with both behavioral and physical health conditions 2

77%

Behavioral Health is the 6th highest driver of medical cost 3

About one-third of our members with a chronic physical health condition also have a behavioral health condition 2

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10 to 14 and 12th in the U.S.

Americans are facing a mental health crisis

Did you know...

Your lifetime, trusted health partner

Helping your employees find the right care at the right time with our behavioral, clinical, and digital platforms

Comprehensive solutions to serve complex needs

Customized programs to improve outcomes and lower costs

Anthem is your behavioral health partner

Americans are facing a mental health crisis

Self-paced support

Digital resources

Chat support

Virtual counselling

In-person care

Employee Assistance Program

Emotional Well-being Resources

Behavioral Health

Connecting individuals to customized programs and personalized treatment to meet their unique needs before, during, and after physical and mental health events

We have comprehensive solutions to serve complex needs

Did you know...

1 Anthem Commercial BHCM Program Evaluation, 2020. 2 Internal data: Behavioral Health Case Management Member Satisfaction Survey, Q1 – Q3 2022. 3 Anthem Internal data, Commercial members, 2022.

$1,152

average inpatient medical savings.1

$2,493

average savings in total impactable medical costs for employees receiving Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment.1

72%

of members stated that our virtual self-guidance support improved their emotional health.3

80%

of employees show improvement in depression assessment.1

90%

of members were able to receive help with all their behavioral health needs in the last 12 months.2

Participants save an average of $3,060 per year, or 16% in total costs from participating in Behavioral Health Case Management (BHCM) co-managed with medical, pharmacy, and disease management.1

We have customized programs to improve outcomes and lower costs

Did you know...

Targeted analytics

Transforming data into powerful insights to manage risk and proactively close gaps in behavioral health

Coordinated care

Working together, our physical and behavioral health clinicians connect individuals to care that addresses their physical, social, and behavioral well-being

Access and quality

Navigating care faster with one of the nation’s largest networks of behavioral health professionals, including virtual providers

Transforming whole health through an integrated approach with physical and social needs, to help keep employees healthy and productive, while controlling costs

Anthem is your behavioral health partner

Did you know...

U.S. adults experience both mental illness and a substance use disorder 4

17m

U.S. adults have a mental health condition 1

52.9m

increase in physical health spend is for members with both behavioral and physical health conditions 2

77%

Behavioral Health is the 6th highest driver of medical cost 3

About one-third of our members with a chronic physical health condition also have a behavioral health condition 2

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10 to 14 and 12th in the U.S.

Americans are facing a mental health crisis

Did you know...

Your lifetime, trusted health partner

Helping your employees find the right care at the right time with our behavioral, clinical, and digital platforms

Comprehensive solutions to serve complex needs

Customized programs to improve outcomes and lower costs

Anthem is your behavioral health partner

Americans are facing a mental health crisis

of primary care visits are estimated to be driven by mental health. 3

17m

U.S. adults experience both mental illness and a substance use disorder. 2

In the U.S. suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for children between 10 and 14 years of age, and 12th overall. 1

1 National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide (accessed May 2023) 2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (accessed August 2023) 3 American Psychological Association: Briefing Series on the Role of Psychology in Health Care (accessed October 2023)

It’s important to get the right support for behavioral health issues

Because mental health is part of your overall well-being

of primary care visits are estimated to be driven by mental health. 3

17m

U.S. adults experience both mental illness and a substance use disorder. 2

In the U.S. suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for children between 10 and 14 years of age, and 12th overall. 1

It’s important to get the right support for behavioral health issues

Because mental health is part of your overall well-being

Participants save an average of $3,060 per year, or 16% in total costs from participating in Behavioral Health Case Management (BHCM) co-managed with medical, pharmacy, and disease management.1