Impact of COVID-19 on Behavioral Health
Background and Purpose
Behavioral Health has been a concern for health actuaries for a long time. Some ongoing concerns in this arena are related to changes in compensation due to regulations, as well as issues brought about by the opioid crisis. Most recently, there has been a significant increase in behavior health illnesses and issues caused by the fear of contracting COVID-19 and the social isolation that came with policies designed to curb the spread of COVID-19.
In addition, changes in treatment methodologies have emerged to try to improve behavioral health outcomes. These include improved integration between medical health and behavioral health as well as
the use of technology—in particular telehealth—to help address member needs in a more comfortable and convenient setting.
Lastly, the effects of this latest behavioral health epidemic did not uniformly impact all populations. Children and young adults have had a very difficult time in dealing with the COVID-19 related changes to their environment. Suicides and overdoses are on the rise for this cohort and quite often, they have not accessed care at the level of their needs.
Research Objective and Deliverables
This research would examine utilization patterns to evaluate incidence of behavioral health pre- and post-COVID-19, as well as changes in services rendered over time. The study would result in a report showing the latest trends in behavioral health as impacted by COVID-19, including changing behavioral health cost patterns pre- and post-COVID and how they vary by subpopulations.
Target Audience and Impact
This research will benefit health actuaries who work with behavioral health care costs.
Estimated Cost
$75,000
Estimated Timeline
Approximately 6 months