America's Benefit Specialist January-February 2023

NOTEWORTHY

or a loved one. It called for a national long-term care navigation hub to help older adults discover and assess options, educate them on available support and funding, select and connect with the option that is best for them, and con tinuously evaluate their needs as health and financial statuses change. Naviga tion resources are needed immediately to support the aging Baby Boomer pop ulation, many of whom not only serve as caregivers to older parents but will soon need long-term care themselves. The poll was conducted between November 11 and 14, during a monthly Omnibus survey. It included 1,014 inter views with a nationally representative sample of adults age 50 and older. LARGE SHARES OF WOMEN REPORT NEEDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BUT MANY DON’T GET THEM An analysis of 2022 KFF Women’s Health Survey (WHS) data finds that although large shares of women report needing mental health services over the past two years, a significant per centage did not access services they felt they needed. Fifty percent of wom en ages 18-64 say they needed mental health services in the past two years (including 64% of women ages 18-25), but only half of these women obtained an appointment, which may suggest unmet mental health care needs. Among those who felt they needed care, one in 10 (10%) tried to get care but were unable to make an appoint ment for mental health services. Anoth er 40% did not try to get mental health services even though they say they needed them. Research has documented the chal lenges some consumers with health in surance face when finding in-network care. In fact, two in 10 privately insured women with a mental health appoint ment in the past two years say their provider did not accept their insurance. The country also faces a workforce shortage of behavioral health profes sionals in addition to other affordability

• 19% found medical bills somewhat confusing • 19% said medical bills were extremely confusing Additionally, respondents were asked: “Which, if any, of the following is most frustrating about the financial experi ence after seeking medical care?” Amer icans ranked the following statements as their most important frustrations: 1. Being able to understand what they’re being billed for (29%) 2. Uncertainty if they can pay the bill (27%) 3. Not getting bill until weeks after they received service (24%) 4. Uncertainty if the final bill will be consistent with the estimate of re sponsibility (20%) The survey also asked: “Which, if any, of the following would be most helpful to you in understanding how much you are expected to pay for care or services?” • 27% said a call before the procedure from the physician’s office or hospital staff to walk through what’s expect ed in terms of payment and discuss payment plans offered • 12% said an online calculator to help determine cost ranges for care or procedures • 11% said an email from the insurance company to walk through the bill after care or services are rendered • 9% said a call from the insurance company to walk through the bill after care or services are rendered • 9% said access to live online custom er service through their insurer’s websites • 8% said a call from the physician’s of fice or hospital staff to walk through the bill after care or services are rendered • 24% said none of the above These results show that medical billing is still a black box to patients. The onus

is on healthcare organizations—both providers and insurers—to make medical billing less painful for patients, who may fear going into debt and avoid seeking out care. One critical tool healthcare leaders can leverage to course correct on medical billing and make it more seam less for patients is automation. Automation makes it possible to take a lot of the tedious work off the plates of revenue cycle specialists, freeing them up to become patient advocates. For example, automating authoriza tion status frees staff up to help with initiating an authorization in a more timely manner while also preventing appointments from getting canceled. Staff can also take on more patient-fac ing activities like financial counseling to deliver a better experience overall. Learn more at www.AKASA.com. ONE IN FOUR OLDER ADULTS NEEDED LONG-TERM CARE FOR THEMSELVES OR A LOVED ONE IN 2022 Twenty-four percent of U.S. adults ages 50 and older say they, or a loved one needed long-term care in the past year, according to a new national survey. According to the survey findings, most older adults said the process of select ing long-term care caused anxiety (53%) and frustration (52%), while few said they felt confident (23%), at peace (23%) or happy (14%) while making a choice. Finally, the survey respondents said it was extremely important to have additional information about the cost of care and options to pay for it (69%) and the different types of long-term care services available (63%). The findings illustrate the wide spread need for information and guidance about long-term care services among an aging population and their caregivers, a need that experts say will grow exponentially in the future. Nexus Insights released a report earli er this year detailing the often frustrat ing and confusing process facing many older adults when making decisions about long-term care for themselves

6 ABS | benefitspecialistmagazine.com