Supplemental insurance provider Aflac announced Thursday that it’s partnering with NeuroFlow to close gaps in care for people who experience mental and emotional challenges. The Philadelphia-based company provides a mental wellness platform that’s used to monitor patients’ behavioral health and develop personalized treatment plans.
The financial terms of the three-year deal were not disclosed. Beginning in Q3 of this year, NeuroFlow will be available to employees of certain new and existing Aflac clients. Specifically, these clients need to have purchased fully-insured group long-term disability policies with more than 1,000 covered lives from Aflac.
NeuroFlow’s platform helps to proactively identify worsening behavioral health conditions and match individuals to the right level of care. The company provides this as an alternative to combining various point solutions — or specific services different vendors might provide within a benefits program — which it contends complicates workflows and creates gaps in care.
The company’s tech-powered engagement tools, clinical decision support and integrated care expertise together create a feedback loop. That’s designed to keep employees who struggle with challenges ranging from increased stress to depression and anxiety from falling through the cracks and connect them with care as needed.
NeuroFlow offers private and easy ways to manage stressors, whether work-related or personal, through self-care tools including cognitive behavioral therapy exercises (like goal setting and worksheets to challenge negative or problematic thoughts or beliefs), journaling and meditation.
When the platform’s severity score identifies someone that may be in crisis, users get an immediate prompt with a list of one-touch resources, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. NeuroFlow’s response services team of behavioral health specialists also follow up with a prompt phone call to conduct a wellness check and route the individual to the the appropriate level of care, such as therapy or psychiatry, according to the company.
In addition to detecting potential issues, the behavioral company’s platform offers digital educational content for general wellness and conditions such as depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.
“We are excited to partner with NeuroFlow to offer a solution that increases value to our customers before they have ever filed a claim,” said Scott A. Beeman, senior vice president of premier life, absence and disability solutions at Columbus, Georgia-based Aflac, in a statement. “This program will undoubtedly help people navigate daily stresses, especially as the pandemic continues to shine a spotlight on the need for greater mental and emotional well-being.”
More than 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. reported the pandemic has had a serious impact on their mental health, according to a 2021 survey by the American Psychiatric Association. Challenges range from sustained anxiety about catching Covid-19 (or having children become sick with the virus) to increased stress during the pandemic.
The Aflac-NeuroFlow partnership reflects a move by some employers to offer more robust mental health benefits to better accommodate the needs of employees. Many large and mid-sized employees have looked at making adjustments to their telehealth and mental health benefits. In response, employee benefits providers, from UnitedHealthcare to MetLife, are providing additional support to employers in the area of mental health.
“We’re thrilled to work with innovative organizations, like Aflac, as they embrace behavioral health, help close the gaps in care, challenge the stigma around mental health, and support customers in a holistic way,” said Chris Molaro, CEO at NeuroFlow, in a statement.
Photo: SIphotography, Getty Images
