The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America has announced the launch of a partnership with Spring Health, a mental healthcare provider. Under the partnership, Guardian will offer its customers benefits to support the mental and emotional well-being of employees and their families.
The Guardian Spring Health plans will provide access to mental health professionals and an array of services clinically proven to reduce recovery time, helping companies decrease employee turnover and boost productivity.
Nearly one in five adults in the US are affected by a mental health condition. Of those, more than half receive no treatment, and those who do seek treatment can have difficulty finding timely help. With Spring Health benefits, the average time to get an appointment with a behavioral health specialist is less than two business days, Guardian said. The national average is 25 days.
“Mental health is an issue of prime concern for employees and companies alike, and the need to support employee well-being has become even more pronounced during the pandemic,” said Chris Smith, head of group benefits for Guardian Life. “This new employee benefit offering is designed to remove barriers to care that people often experience when seeking help for mental and emotional well-being, and it gives companies the opportunity to better support employees and their loved ones, which can help improve employee retention and productivity.”
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Spring Health offers resources to address a spectrum of issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, sleep issues, relationship difficulties, eating disorders and substance abuse disorders. Care plans include in-person and virtual appointments with licensed care providers, digital cognitive behavioral therapy, coaching, mindfulness exercises and more.
Guardian is also integrating Spring Health into its claims processes, starting with short-term disability claims. Guardian members with Spring Health and short-term disability benefits will be able to receive claims-specific outreach to connect them with mental health resources.
“We are excited to partner with Guardian to expand Spring Health’s reach so employees and their family members get the right care at the right time,” said April Koh, CEO of Spring Health. “With Spring Health’s precision mental healthcare approach and personalized, compassionate care delivery, we deliver better outcomes so people feel better, faster.”
