LexisNexis Risk Solutions 2021 Mental Health Report Validates Surge in Mental Health Telehealth Claims During Pandemic

Telehealth Enabled Patients in Need of Mental Health Services to Continue Treatment

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May 20, 2021, 09:08 ET

ATLANTA, May 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Health Care business of LexisNexis® Risk Solutions has released the 2021 COVID-19 Mental Health Impact Report, which leverages data from more than 2.2 billion aggregated de-identified medical claims. The data validates that mental health telehealth claims have increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the demand for mental health services overall increased slightly during the pandemic, the real measurable increase has been in telehealth visits for mental health. Social distancing requirements have made in-person office visits difficult or impossible, and the data from LexisNexis MarketView™ reveals that a greater number of patients sought behavioral health services through telehealth during the pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic, telehealth was hugely underutilized for mental health services. The dramatic spike in mental health telehealth medical claims from January 2020 to February 2021 acknowledges the impact the pandemic has had on the need for mental health services. This is particularly relevant as May is Mental Health Month, which is dedicated to educating the public on how to support those struggling with mental health issues and increasing awareness on the state of behavioral healthcare services.

To understand the impact of COVID-19 on mental health services, the new report tracks data from eight key metrics, including visits for anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The report found that more patients overall are seeking treatment for mental and behavioral health services during the pandemic, while those who had already been using these services showed a slight increase in visits during the early months. Specifically, the report's primary findings indicate:

6,500 percent increase in telehealth claims for behavioral health services January 2020 to February 2021
3,000 percent increase in telehealth visits for anxiety
2,500 percent increase in telehealth visits for depression
1,400 percent increase in substance abuse care in telehealth

"The combination of the pandemic prompting the rapid adoption of telehealth services by providers and patients, and the continued need for mental health services, logically suggests that remote behavioral health visits would increase over the last year," said Josh Schoeller, CEO, Health Care, LexisNexis Risk Solutions. "At LexisNexis Risk Solutions, we had the opportunity and the data to quantify that effect for the industry. Especially during Mental Health Month, we feel that it is vital to gauge the effect more precisely and show the scale of continued need for telehealth services in this important area."

By leveraging data from more than 2.2 billion aggregated de-identified medical claims, LexisNexis MarketView™ delivers insights into areas including referral patterns, physician alignment strategies, the quality of clinically integrated networks, patient volumes, and reimbursement insights.

For more information download the report.

About LexisNexis Risk Solutions
LexisNexis® Risk Solutions harnesses the power of data and advanced analytics to provide insights that help businesses and governmental entities reduce risk and improve decisions to benefit people around the globe. We provide data and technology solutions for a wide range of industries including insurance, financial services, health care and government. Headquartered in metro Atlanta, Georgia, we have offices throughout the world and are part of RELX (LSE: REL/NYSE: RELX), a global provider of information-based and analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, please visit www.risk.lexisnexis.com and www.relx.com.

SOURCE LexisNexis Risk Solutions