The Growing Need For Behavioural Health Insurance
Behavioral health is highly prevalent and closely linked with other common chronic diseases, comorbidity with other health conditions, and associated increased health care and expenditure. Spending on behavioral health services is estimated to reach about $239 billion over the next decade, which is 5% of total national health expenditure. These costs have been growing faster than overall health and are predicted to outpace it as the population ages. Several issues are surrounding behavioral health that needs to be addressed, including reducing stigma around mental illness and encouraging patients to seek treatment for it. These include stress, medication, environmental factors such as low diet and lack of exercise, depression, drug addiction, social isolation and abuse, and exposure to violence. Many other factors can also contribute to the increase in behavioral health costs. Research has shown that patients with serious mental illness are less likely to receive appropriate treatment,
