Employers: Mental Health, Chronic Disease Needs Will Rise in 2022

Employers are anticipating that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to have a long-term impact in 2022, particularly in the areas of mental health and chronic disease needs, according to Business Group on Health’s recent 2022 Large Employers’ Health Care Strategy and Plan Design survey.

The researchers surveyed 136 large employers in June 2021. These employers provided healthcare coverage for a total of more than 8 million employees and dependents.

The survey results highlighted five key concerns that are top-of-mind for employers going into 2022.

Although the pandemic will be two years old and access to COVID-19 vaccines is already fairly ubiquitous in the US, employers are concerned that coronavirus will still have long-term impacts that will influence 2022.

Employers indicated that late-stage chronic disease diagnoses and mental health illnesses will increase costs in the coming year. More than nine out of ten employers expect to see more claims for medical services and more long-term mental healthcare needs among employees.

Other coronavirus-related employer concerns for 2022 included higher chronic management demands and higher disability claims as employees battle long-term coronavirus symptoms, according to the executive summary.

Although they are bracing for the pandemic’s long-term impacts, employers do not anticipate higher spending in 2022. Instead, the cost trend may shift from 6.0 percent to 5.8 percent, due to plan design.

These projections come after a zero percent or even negative health care trend in 2020 and an expected six percent rising trajectory in 2021.

In response to employers’ expectations regarding the long-term effects of the coronavirus pandemic, employers will expand mental healthcare benefits in 2022, with over 75 percent of employers indicating that mental healthcare is a top priority. 

As part of these efforts, most employers plan to host an anti-stigma mental health campaign to combat cultural barriers to seeking mental healthcare support.

In addition to expanding mental healthcare support, employers expressed interest in establishing on-site medical clinics. These on-site or near-site care delivery locations can more readily assist employees with routine chronic disease management. They also provide a convenient location for coronavirus testing as the workforce returns to the workplace.

While employers continue to be interested in this model of care delivery, the survey did not project an explosion of on-site clinics. Rather, the results showed that the number of on-site or near-site clinics will likely return to pre-pandemic levels.

Finally, employers are expecting to use social determinants of health programs and strategies to address health equity.

“Employers are initiating far-reaching programs to better employees’ lives, including improved access to health care and financial programs,” the Business Group on Health press release explained. 

“As such, they help to address the underlying social and economic challenges that influence regular health habits, overall well-being and even mortality rates, with the goal of creating systemic change.”

The top social determinants of health that employers aim to address in 2022 are related to finances and income, healthcare, and childcare, according to the executive summary.

Regarding 2022 healthcare spending projections, employers’ expectations are aligned with insurers' predictions for 2022. As insurance companies set their rates for 2022, several have expressed their expectations that the coronavirus pandemic will not have a significant impact on healthcare spending.

However, PwC Health Research Institute has projected that the 2022 medical cost trend will still be higher than previous years, excluding the 2020 medical cost trend. PwC projected a 7.0 percent 2021 medical cost trend and a 6.5 percent 2022 medical cost trend.