Behavioral health is increasingly getting the attention it deserves due to recent legislation and declining stigma, although challenges still exist. Why is behavioral health a topic payors and providers should pay attention to? $172B is spent annually on behavioral health[1], with the majority of the spend coming from depression[2]. Not only does behavioral health account for high costs, physical chronic disease patients with behavioral health comorbidities have significantly more expenditures than those without.
How do you know if you have a disability?
You are considered to have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you have a history or record of such an impairment or medical condition.
Disabilities include, but are not limited to:
- Autism
- Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, or HIV/AIDS
- Blind or low vision
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular or heart disease
- Celiac disease
- Cerebral palsy
- Deaf or hard of hearing
- Depression or anxiety
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy
- Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn’s Disease, or irritable bowel syndrome
- Intellectual disability
- Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
- Nervous system condition for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, or Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Psychiatric condition, for example, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, or major depression