What You Should Know:
– Blue Shield of California today announced that its health plan members who are enrolled in the Wellvolution program now have access to Headspace Health’s Ginger on-demand, personalized mental health support that can be accessed on their smartphone.
– Ginger is an on-demand mental health platform that can help individuals manage anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and other mental health challenges. The service provides eligible Blue Shield members easy access to confidential, text-based mental health coaching and self-guided activities anytime, any day at no additional cost. In addition, members have access to video therapy and psychiatry sessions with Ginger’s highly trained providers.
Making Mental Health Support for Members Easier & Accessible
As depression, anxiety and burnout exacerbated by the pandemic continue to skyrocket nationwide, Blue Shield of California is making mental health support for its members easier and more accessible. In Oct, 2021. Blue Shield of California added Headspace to its Wellvolution suite of programs as a covered benefit for members, prompting 18K members to sign up.
Ginger provides unlimited access to confidential, text-based mental health coaching and self-guided activities at no additional cost to Blue Shield’s 26,000 Wellvolution enrollees. In addition, Blue Shield of California members have access to personalized and confidential video therapy and psychiatry sessions with Ginger’s network of licensed providers.
Why It Matters
According to a recent study by Mental Health America, more than half of adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment, totaling over 27 million adults in the U.S. who are going untreated. The addition of Ginger to Wellvolution’s network of digital health and wellness providers comes as the U.S. struggles to meet demand for comprehensive mental health support. Long waits for mental health treatment are a nationwide problem, with reports of patients waiting an average of five to six weeks for care. During the month of November 2021, Ginger saw a dramatic 447% increase in demand for behavioral health coaching support and a 514% increase for therapy and psychiatry, in comparison to pre-pandemic averages.
“Ginger provides a safe space for our members to quickly make appointments, be matched with a coach or therapist, and benefit from the expanded range of mental health resources,” said Bryce Williams, vice president, Mind Body Medicine at Blue Shield of California.
