Behavioral Health Treats the Whole Person

  • May 16, 2019

    Imagine you went to the nearest emergency department because you thought you were having a heart attack. You learned it was a panic attack, a severe anxiety reaction. While you’re glad your heart’s okay, you feel embarrassed and overwhelmed. What do you do next?

    For patients with behavioral health conditions, getting the right care at the right time can make the difference between relief and silent suffering that can lead to more serious problems. Premera is working to reduce behavioral health stigma and provide access when and where our members need it.

    People who need behavioral health help often avoid it because they feel like they’re the only ones struggling and they’re afraid of being judged. Campaigns like Mental Health Month remind us that 1 in 5 Americans will be affected by mental illness during their lifetime.

    Whether you’re a receptionist or provider, telling patients about common behavioral health conditions help in four ways:

    • We offer hope and let patients understand they aren’t alone and won’t be judged.
    • We make it more likely that people will seek help when they need it.
    • We build a “no wrong door” approach to treatment: no matter who our patients contact, they’ll get connected with the right care for them.
    • We treat behavioral health as equally important as physical health.

    Reducing stigma is a start. The next step is increasing access to care. We’re making sure our networks have providers with expertise matched to patient needs, like trauma-informed care, transgender issues, or substance abuse.

    We’re also matching patients with behavioral health services to get the care they need at a time they need it. We’re offering support through virtual tools so that patients aren’t limited by time or place when they’re ready to get help. This can be especially helpful for rural or small practice providers.

    Since so much behavioral health care begins in the primary care office, these tools are designed to make providers’ jobs easier by supporting them with behavioral expertise and integrating behavioral health with primary care.

    Here’s what you can do:

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