Employer-sponsored behavioral health program impacts on care utilization and cost

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Healthcare Management
• Behavioral Health

Background:

• Employer-sponsored behavioral health (BH) programs aim to improve employee well-being and manage healthcare costs.
• Assessing the impact of these programs on overall healthcare utilization and expenditures is crucial for demonstrating value.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of an employer-sponsored BH program on all-cause healthcare utilization and costs.
• To compare employees utilizing the BH program with a control group receiving care elsewhere.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of health insurance claims data from a large employer (2016-2018).
• Employed a difference-in-differences method to estimate program impact.
• Analyzed physician office visits, acute care utilization, and total costs, including prescription drugs.

Main Results:

• Program participation correlated with a 28% reduction in total healthcare costs over 18 months (P=.043).
• Significant reductions observed in primary care provider (PCP) visits (27%, P=.001) and non-BH specialist visits (P=.005).
• No significant impact on acute care utilization or BH specialist visit rates.

Conclusions:

• Employer-sponsored BH programs may redirect care from less-equipped providers to appropriate BH specialists.
• Improved access to BH care can enhance healthcare system efficiency by ensuring more appropriate treatment.
• These findings support the integration of BH services within employer health strategies.