Employers are more likely to report inadequate networks for mental health than they are for physical health, according to KFF's 2023 employer health benefits survey published Oct. 18.
Over 90 percent of employers said their networks for physical health providers are adequate, compared to 67 percent of employers who said their mental health provider networks were adequate.
Larger firms were more likely to say they had an adequate number of mental health providers than small firms.
Around 6 in 10 employers said they had an adequate number of substance abuse treatment providers in their networks. Around 30% of small firms and 23% of large firms said they did not know if they had enough substance abuse providers in-network for their employees.
Forty-one percent of employers said telehealth is "very important" for behavioral health access, compared to 27% who said it will be "very important" for primary care and 16% who said the same for specialty care.
KFF interviewed human resource and benefits managers at 2,133 companies for the annual survey. See the full report here.