Supporting Employee Well-being: Behavioral Health And Addiction Recovery

Empower workforce well-being through addiction recovery support

Connecting employees to addiction recovery resources means your organization can take a proactive and personalized approach to behavioral healthcare.

By providing them with empathetic support and customized treatments, you could enhance their quality of life, elevate workplace productivity, and reduce your organization’s healthcare expenses.

Why substance use and addiction recovery benefits are important for your organization

17M U.S. adults struggle with both substance use and mental illness.¹

94% of people with a substance use disorder (SUD) report they do not receive any treatment.²

Almost 1 in 3 adults suffered from a substance use disorder or mental illness in the past year.³

Substance use disorders cost employer-sponsored health coverage $35.3 billion a year.³

Mental health concerns are 3x more likely to drive employee absenteeism compared to a physical health issue.⁴

We strive to care for each person’s whole health across their spectrum of emotional well-being needs by:

Managing risk through predictive analytics and proactive engagement.

Connecting employees and their families directly to the right clinical expertise.

Personalizing care to address individual challenges and social drivers of health.

Delivering faster access to the right resources, at the right time.

Behavioral healthcare costs may add up, but preventive care and comprehensive treatments can drive employer savings

• Untreated behavioral and physical health conditions drive a 77% increase in spend.4
• In 2022, almost 1/3 of urgent and specialty care video visits were for behavioral health reasons.5 
• Substance use disorders represented the  third-highest monthly expense, amounting to  $464 per member per month.6 
• Alcohol consumption accounted for the largest  portion of these costs, totaling 66%.7

How to support employees’ behavioral health and addiction recovery needs

• Build a benefits plan with enhanced behavioral health offerings, including specific programs addressing substance use and addiction. 
• Train your workforce and leadership to recognize and support addiction in the workplace, with manager referral programs and similar benefits. 
• Engage your employees with your mental health benefits through a communications strategy detailing the resources and support available to them. 

Want to learn more about Anthem’s offerings? Contact your representative to learn how an Anthem benefit plan can provide whole-person support for your workplace.

1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States (accessed June 2023): samhsa.gov. 

2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): National Survey on Drug Use and Health (accessed June 2023): samhsa.gov. 

3 Li M, Peterson C, Xu L, Mikosz CA, Luo F: Medical Costs of Substance Use Disorders in the US Employer-Sponsored Insurance Population. JAMA Network Open (January 24, 2023): jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800719. 

4 Anthem internal data, commercial, 12 months between July 2021 and June 2022. 

5 Anthem internal data, 2022. 

6 Anthem internal data, commercial, 12 months between September 2021 and August 2022. 

7 Anthem internal data, (66% alcohol, 4% amphetamine, 20% opioid, 3% sedative, 7% other drug), 2021–2022.