October 14, 2006

Designing Employer-Sponsored Mental Health Benefits

Rachel Sethi, Joanne Jee, Lisa Chimento, and D. Richard Mauery explore the current design and administration of mental health coverage and what constitutes adequate mental health coverage in employer-sponsored health benefits. The information and suggestions presented in the report were informed by an extensive literature review, input from experts in fields relating to mental health and illness and insurance and benefits, and actuarial analysis. This report lays out the necessary components of an adequate mental health benefit by examining areas as the evidence base for particular mental health benefits, the effects of different types of benefit limits on access, utilization, and costs, the components of a cost-effective mental health benefit package, and the effects of benefits administration on effectiveness.