Administrative burdens exist in every industry. The administrative burden in health care refers to tasks that patients must complete in order to access the care that they need. Five of the most common patient administrative tasks include scheduling, obtaining information, prior authorizations, resolving billing issues, and resolving premium problems.1 The administrative burden associated with these tasks are defined as delayed or foregone care.1

Of course, like most issues related to accessing healthcare or work-life support, the people affected by these burdens the most are usually the very people who need support the most. Below, let’s look at how the administrative burden of healthcare impacts higher education, and what higher education institutions can do to reduce bureaucracy and help more faculty and students access the care they need.

The impact of the patient administrative burden in higher education

Across industries, employees with mental health benefits still struggle to find and access care from a mental health professional. Why is this? A few key reasons include the following:

  • 80% of employees are confused about their healthcare benefits.2
  • 9 out of 10 Americans struggle with health literacy, leading to many problems, including not accessing mental health care services.3
  • 74% of providers listed as in-network for a health plan are unreachable or aren’t accepting new patients.4

All of the above factors are part of the larger healthcare administrative burdens issue. According to Health Affairs, administrative burdens exist in three subcategories: “the learning costs of finding out about a program’s existence and benefits, determining whether one is eligible for the program and what benefits one might receive, and understanding how to apply for and stay on programs; the compliance costs of filling out forms, documenting one’s status, or responding to bureaucratic directives; and the psychological costs, including stress, frustrations, anxiety, loss of autonomy, or sense of stigma, that arise from interacting with these programs.”5

On top of the existing administrative burdens associated with higher education and the record levels of mental health concerns,6 students and educators face an array of challenges related to education, the economy, social injustice, mass violence, and so much more.7 The patient administrative burden makes it difficult to access essential behavioral healthcare and work-life services that can, directly and indirectly, help support physical and mental health.

How higher education institutions can reduce the administrative burden of healthcare

Instead of making faculty and students jump through hoops to get the care and resources they need, higher education institutions can offer comprehensive, whole-person support with Uprise Health. With access to our one-stop platform, people can see what care services and resources are available to them and get detailed information about how to get started. Members also get expert support from live care navigators who can answer questions, direct people to resources, and help them find an available therapist.

To further reduce the administrative burden, Uprise Health offers online booking for coaching, so members can see availability and book based on what works for their busy schedule. All of these features—and more—provide a member-centric experience, alleviate some of the administrative burdens, and make it easier to get care quickly. To learn more about how Uprise Health can support higher education, book a demo today.

References

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34498259/
  2. https://www.ameritasinsight.com/employee-benefits/why-employees-are-confused-about-benefits-and-what-employers-can-do
  3. https://nnlm.gov/guides/intro-health-literacy
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25322445/
  5. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20200904.405159/
  6. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.929335/full
  7. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/mental-health-campus-care