78. The Real ROI of Mental Health Benefits - MentalHealth - The Business of Benefits Podcast

Topics in this episode

MentalHealth health insurance healthinsurance healthbenefits

Episode notes

What if making mental health care completely free for your employees actually lowered your total plan costs? In this solo episode, host Chelsea Ryckis breaks down one of the most compelling case studies in Ethos Benefits' history, a manufacturing company with 350 - 380 employees that eliminated every financial barrier to mental health care. Zero copays. Zero deductibles. Unlimited sessions. Open network. No prior authorization. The result? 12% utilization (vs. a 4% national benchmark), 594 claims, an average of 14 sessions per member - and a total cost of just $7 per employee per month. Meanwhile, traditional plans with restrictions are benchmarking at $14 - $17 PEPM for mental health. Chelsea also covers the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), updated in 2024, and walks plan sponsors through the compliance pitfalls she sees most often - from restrictive prior authorizations to narrow behavioral health networks to inconsistent NQTLs. This episode is for HR leaders, CFOs, and plan sponsors who are tired of designing benefits around fear of cost - and ready to see what happens when you design around actual employee needs.

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