Overcoming Barriers to Mental Health Care, Access, and Outcomes One Member at a Time

Overcoming Barriers to Mental Health Care

Imagine you’ve decided to seek mental health care and begin your search for a therapist. Then you realize making the decision was the easy part. Actually finding a therapist? Not so easy. You make several phone calls, only to learn there are long wait lists, or providers aren’t taking new patients. Unfortunately, this experience is common in the United States, where the nation continues to face a mental health crisis.

What’s Causing These Barriers to Mental Health Care?

The crisis is driven by a national shortage of mental health professionals. Finding and accessing effective mental health care when you need it is a massive challenge for people of all ages, according to a 2024 study by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA)1. In addition to long wait times and no room for new patients, barriers to mental health services also include stigmas around mental health treatment.

Jason Youngblood, a licensed behavioral health clinician and director of the well-being center of excellence at Cigna Healthcare, believes, “The health care industry has to do better a better job of helping people access the mental health care resources they need.”

But how?

Improving Access to Mental Health Care

Finding the right fit with the right provider might feel a little overwhelming. It’s understandable. Over 160 million Americans live in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals2. Many providers face their own challenges, like burnout, making it harder to find someone available when you need them.

Cigna Healthcare is working hard to improve access to mental health services by increasing the size of our traditional and virtual care networks, using data to connect members with the right mental health providers, offering our members 24/7/365 access to mental health support from licensed clinicians, and following up with members after each interaction:

  • Access to virtual care networks: We want to make sure our members who need care, can get it, no matter where they live. Virtual visits make it easier for people in rural or hard-to-reach areas to see mental health professionals. No long drives. No extra stress. Just care, right where you are. That’s why we have quadrupled the size of our virtual care network over the past three years.3
  • Using data to connect members with providers: We’re also leveraging data to connect members to providers who meet their specific needs—whether that’s a shared language, a cultural understanding, or a particular specialty. This helps members get the help they need in a way that is most impactful for them.
  • Connecting members to mental health support 24/7/365: Our members have access to 24/7 mental health support from licensed clinicians. “Our approach to mental health may be tech-enabled, but it’s also human-centered,” said Eva Borden, president of Evernorth Behavioral Health. “When you need to make a call and talk to someone – whether it is 3 p.m. or 3 a.m. – there is always someone here to listen to you.”
  • 100% follow-up: The support doesn’t end after a phone call. We follow up on 100% of member interactions, either digitally or telephonically based on member preference. Why follow up? Because it can often take more than one appointment to find the right therapist, so we reach out to find out if the member is satisfied or would like to consider meeting someone else. It’s this kind of commitment to helping our members through their care journey that makes a difference in finding real help for their struggles.

Proactive Support, When You Need It Most

Mental health care works best when you don’t have to wait until things get worse. That’s why we’re investing in data driven tools to identify potential needs early on. By combining medical, pharmacy and mental health data, we can spot signs that one of our members might need support—even before they reach out for help. When this happens, we contact them to offer that support. We let them know that they have 24/7 access to licensed mental health clinicians; personalized programs for specific challenges, like eating disorders or autism; and health coaching and other clinical support. “By addressing mind and body together, we can improve health outcomes, reduce costs, and help people have a better overall health experience,” Youngblood said.

Imagining and Doing More --Treating the Whole Person

Data helps us better understand what members are dealing with so we can offer help. It helps us connect their mental with their physical health. When one is off-balance, we know the other might follow. Part of stemming the mental health crisis means treating the whole person. For example, people with depression might develop chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease. And those with serious illnesses like cancer often face mental health challenges like anxiety or depression. At Cigna Healthcare, we apply this knowledge day-to-day to help our members. Here’s what treating the whole person looks like:

  • Care is integrated: We combine pharmacy, mental and physical health data so we can better understand what’s happening in our members lives and guide them to the right support.
  • Specialized programs address physical and emotional health: For example, our oncology program includes screenings for distress to address both the physical and emotional challenges of cancer.
  • Stigma is broken down and addressed: We’re raising awareness about issues like post-miscarriage depression and proactively connecting women and families to the care they need.

Cigna Healthcare has a keen focus on driving greater access, improving overall health, and providing seamless, connected member experiences. To learn how you can support your employees and lower costs through Cigna Healthcare's suite of preventive, holistic solutions, visit cigna.com/better or contact your broker or representative today.

Offered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company.

  1. National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, “State of the Behavioral Health Workforce, 2024”. Health Workforce Research | Bureau of Health Workforce (accessed 12/2024).
  2. Nathaniel Counts, “Understanding the U.S. Behavioral Health Workforce Shortage” (explainer), Commonwealth Fund, May 18, 2023. https://doi.org/10.26099/5km6-8193 (accessed 12/2024).
  3. Internal unique provider data, January 2021 through June 2024.

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