About 1 in 7 children ages 3 to 17 have a current, diagnosed behavioral health condition, according to data from the CDC. Anxiety problems, behavior disorders, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions in children.

These conditions have a significant impact on individuals and families – as well as a notable financial impact. A study by Milliman, commissioned by The Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Use, reviewed commercial health care claims data for 21 million people. The researchers found that 27% of the people in the study group had a behavioral health condition – but this cohort represented nearly 57% of the total annual health care costs.

These costs are not simply the result of behavioral health-specific treatments such as counseling or psychiatric medication management. They are also attributable to the fact that the cost of treating medical conditions is 3-6 times higher when a behavioral health condition is present due to the deleterious effects of behavioral conditions on physical health.

All of this data underscores the significant, growing need for behavioral health services. What many considered a temporary demand tied to Covid-19 is not, in fact, resolving naturally over time. Instead, demand continues to rise – and as a licensed psychologist, I can speak to the deep need to make behavioral health care more accessible for our patients.

Here’s what that means – there are obstacles we need to overcome, there are actions we need to take, and there are exciting technology innovations we have at our disposal.

Challenges to accessing behavioral health care

Our society still stigmatizes mental and behavioral health conditions, creating one of the first and most debilitating barriers to care. For those who do seek out care, there is a shortage of behavioral health providers, which can result in limited options and long wait times. In rural areas, the shortage of providers is only exacerbated, requiring some patients to travel significant distances to receive in-person care. This creates a ripple effect; as people share their experiences with delays and frustrations, it can pre-emptively discourage others from even trying to seek out their own care.

The conversation around access to care has been around for a while now. But “accessing” is actually shorthand for navigating the entire continuum of care effectively, which is easier said than done. Once patients begin seeking out care, they often need help identifying their options, evaluating what works best for their needs, and staying engaged in that care for the duration of time it’s needed.

For those who have health insurance, health plans must make it easy for patients to move within the health care system to find, understand and use behavioral care options.

The role of health plans in making care more accessible

Health insurers are working to meet their members with the programs and tools they need at the time they need them. However, that’s only the beginning. Plans must make these behavioral health care choices visible, comprehensible and easy to act on.

For many patients and families, one of the first challenges is knowing where to start. Behavioral health can feel overwhelming, especially when an individual or family member is already in distress.

Members often don’t know what resources are available, what’s covered by their plan or even what kind of support they need – from assessment and crisis support to therapy and medication. Insurers are in a unique position to connect the dots across provider networks, programs and digital tools.

Health plans can help people make sense of what’s available, tailor options to their situation and encourage action at the right moment. They must be committed to taking ownership for that patient experience, so people don’t fall through the cracks – especially individuals with high needs or limited access.

Accessibility in practice

To do this, insurers are utilizing a variety of strategies, including implemented a comprehensive member engagement strategy to surface behavioral health needs earlier and help members connect with care in a more personalized way. To support the desired outcomes, data-driven outreach flags potential gaps in care, such as when a member has frequent ER visits but no behavioral health follow-up, or a new diagnosis flow through for a member’s dependent.

And, while identification of these gaps is important, the next steps are crucial. Members need guidance toward the right follow-up – whether that’s coaching, therapy or digital tools – and help in understanding how to use their benefits to obtain the care that best meets their need.

There is no single solution to connecting with members and keeping them engaged. Insurers benefit by having multiple communication channels, including public-facing websites and resources, proprietary member platforms and tools, and phone lines where individuals can speak directly to representatives for navigation assistance.

Technology and innovation in behavioral health care

New technologies offer significant opportunities, from connecting with members to providing virtual care – but it’s important to find the right applications and audiences for each technology. Older patients may still feel more comfortable and grounded in speaking to representatives and providers on the phone or in person, while many patients under age 30 may be more open to receiving – or even prefer – digital communications and virtual care.

The right solution can vary by situation, as well. A patient seeking strategies to navigate some basic life adjustment issues or a temporary stressor may find a chatbot useful. However, a patient with severe depression or anxiety may need a more personal, in-depth form of intervention and engagement.

The good news is that there has been a significant evolution in the use of technology to treat behavioral health conditions. While this transformation began more generically with the earliest forms of telehealth, we are now seeing more advanced options like wearable devices for behavioral health monitoring and digital therapeutics, where people can self-administer therapies. Numerous companies have sprung up over the last decade, developing and deploying technological solutions to address behavioral health in ways that we’d never considered before.

The promise of current and future technologies is encouraging – and it further underscores the importance of building the right support systems to help patients navigate the system and access the appropriate care at the right time and place. This need will only grow as the number of solutions expands and technology evolves. It’s all about reducing friction, not only to make it a little easier to take that first step in accessing care, but to keep taking each next step along the path to better health.

Photo: olaser, Getty Images

Brett Hart As vice president of behavioral health and mental health parity, Brett Hart leads Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s strategic development and delivery of behavioral health products and services. He guides and supports all behavioral health innovations that are designed to provide members with ease of access to the highest quality services in a timely manner, with a focus on well-being, health equity, and parity.

Brett comes to Blue Cross with more than twenty-five years of experience in the health industry. Prior to joining Blue Cross in October 2023, he spent more than four years at Centene Corporation, based in St. Louis, Missouri, where he first served as chief behavioral health officer before being promoted to chief operating officer of medical strategy. Prior to Centene, Brett spent 19 years at Optum.Brett earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Saint Louis University and is a licensed psychologist.

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