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May 31, 2024
While today marks the last day of May as Mental Health Month, the need for Virtual Behavioral Health providers has never been more significant. Did you know Georgia has the highest percentage of adults who are struggling with mental health and could not see a doctor due to cost (34.4%)? [9] Meanwhile Alabama has the third highest percentage of adults with a mental illness who are uninsured (17.9%). Recuro Behavioral Health solution is the answer (https://recurohealth.com/virtual-behavioral-health/) – low PEPM group cost and access to quality provider in days rather than months.
Nearly half of all Americans will have a Behavioral Health (BH) issue in their lifetime, from a mood disorder to a substance use problem. [2] Yet in the U.S., providers are in short supply. The scarcity of BH professionals is undermining people’s ability to get timely care. This is reinforced by historical underinvestment in BH care – including lack of coverage and low reimbursement rates. In 2021, fewer than half of people with a mental illness were able to access timely care; [3] those with substance use disorders were even less likely. Recuro Behavioral Health solves this need with virtual psychiatry and counseling appointments in less than 72hrs.
Many rural areas and economically stressed cities have few, if any, mental health care providers. In 2018, more than half of the counties in the U.S. did not have a practicing psychiatrist. [1] One study found that counties outside of metropolitan areas had one-third the supply of psychiatrists and half the supply of psychologists as their more urban counterparts. [4] As of March 2023, 160 million Americans live in areas with mental health professional shortages. [5]
Sadly, the average delay between the onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years. [6] In fact, did you know because of delayed care people with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population? [8]
As the need for mental health grows, underserved groups including people of color, non-English speakers, and LGBTQ communities often struggle to find appropriate services. As is the case with many other health care specialties, the demographics of the behavioral health workforce often do not reflect those of the people they serve. For example, while nearly 1/3 of the U.S. population is Black or Hispanic, only about 1/10 of practicing psychiatrists come from these communities. [7] This care gap limits the ability of people to get meaningful care that takes cultural differences into consideration.
To better address these shortages, Recuro has expanded our telehealth services to provide timely care to underserved communities with an emphasis on mental health accessibility, affordability, and convenience. Learn more: https://recurohealth.com/virtual-behavioral-health/.
We’re Making Advanced Healthcare Accessible™ #BehavioralHealth #RecuroHealth #VirtualPsychiatry
Sources:
[1] https://hubs.li/Q02mn8t40
[2] https://hubs.li/Q02mn8NK0
[3] https://hubs.li/Q02mn7Q-0
[4] https://hubs.li/Q02mn9FK0
[5] https://hubs.li/Q02mn9FL0
[6] https://hubs.li/Q02mnd4P0
[7] https://hubs.li/Q02mn9SJ0
[8] https://hubs.li/Q02mn8wT0
[9] https://www.benefitnews.com/list/20-worst-states-for-mental-health-care
