Findings from Kaiser Family Foundation Yields New Findings on Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (Health Benefits In 2022: Premiums Remain Steady, Many Employers Report Limited Provider Networks for Behavioral Health): Mental Health Diseases and Conditions

2023 JUL 04 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A new study on Mental Health Diseases and Conditions is now available. According to news reporting originating in Washington, District of Columbia, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “In 2022 the average annual premium for family health insurance coverage was $22,463, which is similar to the $22,221 reported in 2021. On average, covered workers contributed $1,327 for single coverage and $6,106 for family coverage.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Kaiser Family Foundation, “Among covered workers enrolled in a plan with a general annual deductible, the average deductible for single coverage was $1,763. Almost half of large employers reported an increase from 2021 in the share of employees using mental health services. The 2022 survey asked employers about the breadth of their provider networks, especially for those using services for mental health and substance use disorders. Employers were less likely to report that their plan with the largest enrollment was very broad for mental health services than for providers overall.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Fewer employers thought that their plan had a sufficient number of behavioral health providers versus primary care providers to provide timely access to enrollees.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Health Benefits In 2022: Premiums Remain Steady, Many Employers Report Limited Provider Networks for Behavioral Health. Health Affairs, 2022;41(11):1670-1680. Health Affairs can be contacted at: Project Hope, 7500 Old Georgetown Rd, Ste 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-6133, USA.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Matthew Rae, Kaiser Family Foundation, Washington, DC 20005, United States. Additional authors for this research include Gary Claxton, Gregory Young, Emma Wager and Heidi Whitmore.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01139. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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