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Image provided courtesy of Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association of Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA – The Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association of Pennsylvania hosted fellow behavioral health care leaders and business stakeholders – along with Pennsylvania State Representative Mike Schlossberg (D-PA-132) – for a virtual event this Wednesday, September 28th, on the role that employer- provided health coverage has played in improving the accessibility and quality of care for Pennsylvanians across the state. The group underscored the value of telehealth services in breaking barriers to critical care.
Pennsylvania State Representative Mike Schlossberg (D-PA-132) spoke to the importance of offering robust mental health components as an important aspect for employer-provided care. “Leadership matters, especially within the workforce. It matters not just in your words but with your actions. This is an opportunity for employers to show real leadership and to show that they care and then to know that they can make a real difference for their employee recruitment and retention. It makes real business sense to provide sound mental healthcare which can reduce healthcare costs.”
Kara Canale, with the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, added “Employers in the United States this year will earn an average return on investment of 47% from their employer- provided healthcare, according to a new study from Avalere Health. This means for every dollar spent on employer-provided care, employers get back $1.47 in financial benefits.”
Beyond highlighting the contributions of employer-provided coverage to the state’s health care landscape and economy, the panel discussion spotlighted how telehealth services contribute to continued efforts to reduce stigma and improve access to mental health care.
“One great thing that has happened is telehealth,” noted Garrett Trout, CEO of TrueNorth Wellness Services. “Telehealth has provided a great segway for consumers to great treatment in a safe environment. With telehealth, what we have found is we have a lot more people who access it whether they are having that severe withdrawal where they are unable to get out of
bed to get to an appointment or if they’re feeling good, they still do the check-in, the follow-up, the aftercare and we are seeing much better results in treatment and care because of that. I
think, whether you live in a rural area or in the city, it doesn’t matter where you are, telehealth is a benefit to anyone seeking care and treatment.”
“Before the COVID pandemic, 31% of our agencies said they provided tele-health. 99% now are. 75% said it improved access for people in need of service, more than 90% of patients and practitioners reported a good experience using telehealth, more than half said it reduced the time from the initial referral to the first appointment which is really good to get people engaged and 99% said it should continue as a viable reimbursable service into the future.” remarked Richard Edley, President of RCPA.
About RCPA:
The Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association of Pennsylvania represents providers of health and human services committed to effective, efficient, and high-quality care. For more information, visit our website here: https://www.paproviders.org/
Information provided to TVL by:
Courtney Accurti
Director | Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy
