Mental health and musculoskeletal problems are currently two of the main drivers of disability claims and it isn’t uncommon for plan members with a mental-health diagnosis to also have a secondary physical condition or vice-versa, said Rebecca Smith, director of group life and disability services at Medavie Blue Cross, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health Summit in June.
Mental health-related absences make up roughly 30 per cent of all LTD claims but drive 70 per cent of disability costs. According to Medavie’s claims data, mental-health claims were the top short-term disability and long-term disability diagnosis across all age bands — with the exception of plan members aged 60 to 69, for whom it’s the second most common LTD diagnosis behind musculoskeletal issues and the third most common STD diagnosis.
Read: Survey finds plan sponsors, members divided over whether workplace supports musculoskeletal health
Medavie often encounters plan members making a disability claim for a mental disorder only to, upon investigation, discover a physical health condition that on its own wasn’t totally disabling, but was exacerbated by the mental-health issue, noted Smith.
Indeed, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, those with chronic conditions are twice as likely to experience depression and anxiety than the general population and those with serious mental illnesses are at higher risk of experiencing a wide range of chronic physical conditions.
“In many cases [disability claims] are defined by what is a primary diagnosis, and what is a secondary,” she said. “There are going to be overlaps when you get into looking at the top drivers of disability. Strengthening and expediting access to psychiatric care is critical, but [doing the same for] musculoskeletal care is also essential to avoid some of those secondary conditions that come along as well.”
Read: More than a third of disability claims in 2022 due to mental-health reasons: survey
Technological innovations have opened new opportunities to provide care faster and more easily connect plan members with expert mental-health care. In 2012, Medavie began offering early-stage psychiatric assessment and care for STD claimants and in 2018, it implemented a similar program for early-stage LTD claimants.
The ability to get an accurate diagnosis at the beginning of the leave and expedited access to care has returned 20 per cent more claimants to work before an STD leave progresses to LTD, Smith said. “Where we manage both short- and long-term absences, it just allows us to intervene so much earlier in the path to recovery and ensure those better outcomes.”
Medavie is planning to launch another program in the coming months focused on musculoskeletal conditions with a provider partner that will give plan members early treatment for their conditions and identify any underlying mental-health conditions that have emerged as a result of their chronic health issue.
Preventative care options within an employee benefits plan can help to mitigate the frequency and severity of illnesses or injuries, said Smith, citing employee assistance programs, online health risk assessment tools and common wellness programs like wellness challenges, nutrition education, stress management and mental-health resources. Virtual health-care platforms can also assist in speeding up access to care, facilitating faster recoveries and return to work, while empowering employees to take an active role in their own health care.
Read more coverage of the 2024 Mental Health Summit.