National Business Group On Health Honors Aetna for Behavioral Health Services
Aetna recognized for proactive depression assessment and early intervention programs
HARTFORD, Conn., October 24, 2007 — Aetna (NYSE: ΑET) announced the National Business Group on Health yesterday honored Aetna for its commitment and dedication to helping workers and their families cope with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Aetna was recognized in the category of Behavioral Healthcare Services in the General Medical Setting for implementing a suite of evidence-based depression management programs that focus on proactive assessment and early intervention.
"We are pleased to honor Aetna for their leadership and commitment to providing quality behavioral health benefits and programs to employees," said Helen Darling, President of the National Business Group on Health. "About 217 million days of work are lost annually due to productivity decline related to mental health and substance abuse disorders, costing U.S. employers $17 billion annually. Given this huge economic toll, it is imperative that employers make behavioral health needs a top priority."
Aetna was among five employers who were named winners of the inaugural Behavioral Health Awards at a ceremony during the 2007 Joint Forum on Health, Productivity, and Absence, presented by the National Business Group on Health and the Integrated Benefits Institute. The inaugural Behavioral Health Awards program is sponsored by the Center for Mental Health Services, a division of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
"We are honored to be recognized by the National Business Group on Health, particularly as they are acknowledging the importance of integrated behavioral health strategies in the health care arena," said Louise Murphy, president of Aetna Behavioral Health.
Aetna’s Behavioral Health unit developed an approach with three components to address depression among its member population. This suite of depression management programs includes the Primary Care Provider (PCP) Initiative, which screens members for behavioral health problems using a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) assessment and subsequent referral to a behavioral health provider; Medical Psychiatric (MedPsych) Case Management, which helps members with both medical and behavioral problems find and adhere to a treatment plan and; Depression Disease Management (DDM), a program that treats members with chronic depression. Results show that members who were enrolled in either the Med Psych or DDM program saved up to 3.5 days missed from work.
"The implementation of these programs has significantly impacted member quality of life, treatment outcomes, and absenteeism rates," said Hyong Un, M.D., national medical director for Aetna Behavioral Health. "We also found that members who were enrolled in these programs were more likely to follow up on treatment, report to work and meet job requirements more consistently."
About the Behavioral Health Awards
The National Business Group on Health established the Behavioral Health Awards program to recognize employers that develop, implement, and evaluate innovative behavioral health benefits and programs to improve an employer’s business operations and the health of beneficiaries.
The Center for Mental Health Services, a division of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), sponsored the inaugural awards program.
About the National Business Group on Health
The National Business Group on Health is the nation’s only non-profit, membership organization of large employers devoted exclusively to finding innovative and forward-thinking solutions to their most important health care and related benefits issues. The Business Group identifies and shares best practices in health benefits, disability, health and productivity, related paid time off and work/life balance issues. Business Group members provide health coverage for more than 50 million U.S. workers, retirees and their families. For more information about the Business Group, visit www.businessgrouphealth.org
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 34.9 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans in both the U.S. and internationally. www.aetna.com
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