Sandy Leonard, a senior manager of government relations in AstraZeneca’s Washington, D.C. office, was confronted with a monumental challenge in June of 2006 when one of her seven-year-old twin sons began to express unusual behavior. After numerous roadblocks and frustrations when trying to access psychiatric treatment, Leonard and her husband finally broke down and took their son to the emergency room of a hospital with a specialty in pediatric psychiatry, only to find no psychiatrist on duty.
Weeks of futile and exhaustive research, and much time away from work, ended in an inaccurate diagnosis and unnecessary prescription medication. Finally, after neurological tests, a psychiatrist properly diagnosed Leonard’s son with a learning disability.
Leonard’s experience of frustration and depletion of a significant portion of their family’s mental health benefit dollars caught the attention of AstraZeneca’s Mental Health Brand Team and Human Resources Department, who recognized the need for revisions to the benefits plan.
Starting in January 2007, AstraZeneca instituted a 50% reduction in co-pays and deductibles and 50% reduction in out-of-pocket maximums, in some cases reducing employee out-of-pocket costs by as much as $500. It also instituted an unlimited number of outpatient visits when employees see clinicians in the network.
“The changes are huge,” said Leonard. “Cost is no longer a barrier to making the right choices for my son. AstraZeneca has provided my family with tremendous support – not only in ensuring that we have the healthcare coverage we need, but also in fostering a corporate culture where I can be honest. I was able to make doctor calls and appointments during work hours without feeling that my career was in jeopardy, and now I can work from a home office, which allows me to be closer to my son if an issue should arise at school. Now, I’m a better mother, a better wife, and a much more productive employee.”
According to Penny Stoker, Vice President, Human Resources, “The direct correlation between mental health and employee productivity, absenteeism, and short-term disability is now irrefutable. Beyond the fact that providing more comprehensive coverage to employees is simply the right thing to do, companies can no longer afford to overlook the impact of mental illness from a cost perspective. . . It is our absolute responsibility as a company to ensure that our employees have complete access to the medical care and coverage they need to lead longer, more productive, and satisfying lives.”
Jared Cohen, Marketing Manager at AstraZeneca, feels the company is intimately familiar with the more holistic patient issues surrounding mental health, such as the connection between physical and mental health, work-life balance, and family-life stability. “Perhaps the company’s understanding of mental health has put AstraZeneca in the forefront of recognizing the union between mental health coverage and employee productivity,” he said.
