The disparities in mental health care coverage have become a significant concern for both patients and providers in an increasingly complex healthcare system.
Take for instance a young teacher who, despite overcoming anxiety through therapy, was shocked to find that his insurance only covered 50% of his appointments.
Comparatively, other health visits, such as seeing a neurologist, typically have significantly higher coverage.
His frustration illustrates a broader issue: mental health care is often not treated with the same level of importance as physical health care, leading to inequitable access for those in need of support.
Providers share in this frustration, aware that lower coverage and limited therapy visits hinder patients’ ability to receive essential care, particularly in cases like inpatient substance use disorder treatment, where 30 days is often deemed sufficient.
The key to addressing these disparities lies in understanding how health insurance companies determine coverage for mental health versus physical health care.
For physical ailments, the more serious the condition, the greater the coverage, often exponentially surpassing the coverage for mental health issues.
A significant factor contributing to this disparity is the lack of quantifiable measures for mental health illnesses that can be billed, which is contrasted by the extensive, tangible treatments available for physical health conditions.
In the case of the young teacher, if he had sustained a physical head injury, every aspect of his treatment would be documented and billed separately, while his therapy sessions likely only yielded one or two billable charges, despite the complexity and chronicity of his mental health care needs.
The one-on-one care model, which is currently the gold standard for mental health treatment, is particularly labor-intensive, complicating financial viability.
As Ian Macdonald, MHA, MBA, Interim Executive Director at Huntsman Mental Health Institute explains, mental health outcomes are often less visually evident compared to physical recovery, such as an X-ray showing a healed bone.
This lack of visual evidence further complicates the economic challenges faced by mental health care systems.
In an effort to create a more equitable system, Huntsman Mental Health Institute is dedicated to developing quantifiable measures of mental health acuity.
According to Macdonald, research efforts are underway to establish solid metrics that can effectively demonstrate the costs associated with mental health care, with significant implications for insurance and hospital funding.
A recent study estimated that untreated mental health conditions cost the U.S. economy a staggering $282 billion annually, underscoring the importance of measuring the benefits of mental health intervention more effectively.
Working alongside the Sorenson Impact Institute, Huntsman Mental Health Institute aims to create a monetization framework and conduct a socioeconomic impact analysis, focusing on the financial and societal benefits of addressing mental health needs.
The early indicators from this research are promising, suggesting a potential shift in how mental health investment is viewed by stakeholders.
One strategy being implemented by Huntsman Mental Health Institute is the integration of behavioral health into primary care services to simplify access and reduce care silos.
The Collaborative Care Model allows for early intervention through mental health screenings during primary care visits.
When such screenings indicate a need for support, behavioral health professionals collaborate closely with primary care providers, ensuring comprehensive care without the stigma often associated with mental health treatment.
This model captures and addresses mental health issues within the same framework as physical health issues, fundamentally altering how care is delivered and perceived.
The stepped-care approach employed within this model supports the delivery of the most effective and least resource-intensive treatment first, preventing the worsening of symptoms and optimizing outcomes for patients.
Data from Huntsman’s Collaborative Care program indicates that 74% of patients receiving integrated care demonstrated clinically significant improvement, with depression scores decreasing dramatically.
In the past year alone, an impressive 17,641 mental health screenings were conducted as part of this initiative.
Uniquely, Huntsman Mental Health Institute offers two distinct models of care—Primary Care Behavioral Health and Collaborative Care in both primary and specialty care settings—an unusual feature in integrated healthcare solutions.
However, the issues facing mental health care are not solely economic.
Barriers to seeking mental health support often stem from social stigma, fear, and the misunderstandability surrounding mental health disorders compared to physical ones.
Prominent health systems frequently lag behind in adopting updated treatment protocols or utilizing validated measures for assessing symptoms and patient progress effectively.
To address these broader challenges in mental health care, Huntsman Mental Health Institute is empowering a comprehensive continuum of care that aligns treatment options with patient needs.
Recognizing that patient requirements vary widely—some may only need a single visit, while others will require ongoing support—Huntsman emphasizes early intervention and preventive programs, including community-based school care initiatives.
With strategies centered around stepped care models like the Collaborative Care Model and prioritizing comprehensive and supportive environments, Huntsman Mental Health Institute is paving the way for a future where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health, optimizing access and reducing costs for everyone involved.
image source from：https://healthcare.utah.edu/hmhi/news/2025/04/mental-health-health
