2017: The Origins of the Behavioral Health Movement
Published on LinkedIn by Rob Rebak on December 20, 2017
In 2017, America witnessed the movement to eliminate the access, quality, and cost challenges associated with behavioral healthcare.
Movements are not built overnight; they take time to cultivate, grow momentum, and enact change (see: #MeToo). Movements grow through ripple effects. I believe the Behavioral Health Movement will have a seismic impact across the U.S. going forward.
Movements form in response to overwhelming challenges that are too complex for one aspect of society to tackle alone. The anatomy of successful movements require coordinated efforts of stakeholders who can create change. Health care challenges are not challenges for Healthcare alone. The same holds true for behavioral health. Health plans alone cannot wave magic wands to help over 40 million people in the United States who suffer from behavioral health problems. Politicians alone cannot legislate a solution to the opioid crisis. Health and wellness providers and platforms alone cannot eradicate the stigma of mental illness that prevents so many from getting the help they need. Employers alone cannot account for the over $200 billion incremental cost burden attributable to depression among U.S. employees alone.
We are dealing with an unwieldy, immense, complex-beyond-comprehension type of problem. It is a problem that can only be solved by a national movement of many key stakeholders and people pulling in the same direction. Movements are a coordinated effort focused on a major issue with compelling facts. In 2017, health plans, advocates, policymakers, providers, patients, and employers made strides to collaborate for a common goal: eliminate the biggest obstacles in behavioral healthcare. In 2018, I am hopeful for more innovations and deeper partnerships to emerge in our space.
If your organization isn’t ‘sold’ on the importance and rise of mental health care already, it is not a question of ‘if’ you will get left behind; it is only a matter of ‘when.’ Top talent will work for organizations that value mental health and emotional well-being; families will opt for benefits that cover treatment for depression, anxiety, or stress; voters will elect champions of mental health parity for all organizations; consumers will support brands that value the emotional health and mental health of every employee.
I observed four distinct trends in 2017 that point to the acceleration of this new movement.
1) Market acceptance and advocacy from everywhere
This year, the World Health Organization dedicated World Health Day to talking about depression, a move that told the world that behavioral health is a global health issue and an important one. Platforms have emerged to start conversations and chip away at the stigma of mental health, such as Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global, which has seen significant growth and success this year.
Also in 2017, Aetna published its goals and steps for fighting the debilitating opioid epidemic. Last December Congress enacted the 21st Century Cures Act into law, just one of many examples of legislation in support of the behavioral health movement discussed in the last year. Whether it’s to increase workplace productivity, address the stigma head-on, or save on medical expenses related to comorbid conditions, businesses of all sizes and markets are embracing the idea of workplace wellness. And influential celebrities of all types, from Lady Gaga to Bruce Springsteen to Prince Harry, have candidly discussed their experiences with mental illness and emotional well-being. This year the world has set its sights on behavioral health from all directions.
2) Technological developments to identify, engage, and treat people in need
When telehealth studies showed equivalent results to same-room therapy, it set the stage for technological advancements in the way we treat behavioral health issues. This year saw a powerful alliance of Google and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) develop a screening questionnaire for clinical depression, and just this month they partnered with the National Center for PTSD to roll-out a similar screener for post-traumatic stress. This year, the behavioral health industry has narrowed the gap between people’s needs and their access to high-quality, affordable care.
3) Investors demonstrate confidence in a rapidly emerging growth industry
Hundreds of millions of investment dollars poured into innovative, technology-enabled behavioral health companies (including AbleTo, Inc.) from the nation’s leading VC funds and venture arms of healthcare organizations. These investments are a very encouraging signal that innovation in behavioral health will continue for years to come.
4) CVS announces the acquisition of Aetna; the “Amazon Factor”
CVS — Aetna is a deal like Star Wars is a movie. If approved, this acquisition will have huge implications on the broader healthcare ecosystem for years to come. Undoubtedly, innovations in behavioral healthcare will be a part of these implications.
Although you won’t find the words “behavioral health” in any of the press materials yet, there are a few telling statements in the CVS Health investor presentation that bring behavioral health to mind. Consider the claim “CVS Health + Aetna Can Help Better Manage Medical Cost for Chronic Patients.” This recalls the 2008 Milliman Report, which states that over 34 million U.S. adults have both a behavioral health and a medical condition, a combination that is estimated to drive $300 billion in avoidable health care costs and lost productivity per year.
Last but not least, there is always the “Amazon Factor” which may have also played a role in this historic acquisition. Food companies shivered (and stocks plunged) as Amazon recently entered the Food industry with its purchase of Whole Foods. Healthcare appears to be next for Amazon, with prescriptions likely to be first followed by telehealth and a range of other health related services.
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