Aetna announced the product enhancement today at the second annual Employer Behavioral Healthcare Summit in Salt Lake City. It will be made available to all Aetna Managed Disability customers starting in July. But Depression Management may represent the first product initiative to blend Managed Disability and mental health expertise into a single product for the benefit of customers and members. There is no additional cost to the customer for the new Depression Management component of Managed Disability. Among Aetna customers, seven percent of disability claims on average are of psychiatric origin.
Some customers have a much higher rate of mental health disabilities.
Among the most difficult disability cases to resolve, a significant number of these cases drag on because patients don't always take their medications as prescribed. That's where Managed Disability's Depression Management can be most effective. Based on a similar HAI program, Depression Management uses educational materials emphasizing that depression is a treatable disease. A pamphlet encouraging compliance with medication therapy. A pamphlet educating the employee about the specific medication and its side effects, and a list of pertinent questions for doctors and pharmacists.