DETROIT, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Health care data show major depression is one of the top causes of worker disability in the United States. Some studies estimate the total cost of depression at $43 billion annually, primarily from lost work time or disability. Depression is also one of the leading chronic disorders seen by primary care physicians.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan focuses on depression as part of its care management program called BlueHealthConnection. The program includes screening for depression by nurse “health coaches” who talk over the phone to members with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, who are at higher risk for depression. The health coaches are trained to ask questions that show whether a member should talk to a physician about depression.
“The health coaches never diagnose depression or any other illness. But we raise awareness of how the disease can present itself and we help members determine whether they need to see their physician for screening and treatment. It’s a part of our ‘whole-person approach’ to care management,” says Karen Maher, Michigan Blues vice president of Medical Care Management.
Blues mental health medical director Calmeze Dudley, M.D., said “Research shows that depression can present itself as a physical problem, or in conjunction with physical problems, and many patients are unaware that they have the disease.”
Michigan Blues nurse health coach Marijo Paruch relays one example of how a health coach helped a member. “I talked to a patient recently who appeared to be driven to depression by heart problems and diabetes. The member was planning to ‘tough it out.’ However, after a few conversations, he decided to seek help from his physician and is now feeling much better.”
A determination to “tough it out” is not uncommon, even when people have access to care. The University of Michigan Depression Center found that while 89 percent of depressed employees report having mental health coverage, 75 percent delay getting care and 36 percent receive only partial treatment.
To help improve the treatment numbers and reduce the growing costs in suffering and lost productivity, BlueHealthConnection professionals screen on an ongoing basis. To bring national awareness to the need, Thursday, Oct. 7 has been named National Depression Screening Day which is part of National Mental Illness Awareness Week, Oct. 3 through 9. There will be efforts across the nation to bring greater awareness to the need to detect and treat depression. For more information about depression resources, visit http://www.bcbsm.com/ and enter the search term “depression.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit corporation, provides health care benefits to nearly 4.8 million members through a variety of plans: Traditional, Blue Preferred and Community Blue PPOs, Blue Choice Point of Service, and the Blue Care Network HMO. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit http://www.bcbsm.com/ .
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
CONTACT: Yvonne Johnson of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan,+1-313-225-8113
Web site: http://www.bcbsm.com/