The Whole Person Challenge & Opportunity

Consumers with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) remain a priority population for policymakers, payers, and health plan executives. This group of consumers has a life expectancy 10 to 20 years shorter than the general population, with the majority of premature deaths attributed to underdiagnosed and undertreated physical health conditions. Additionally, inappropriate polypharmacy and inconsistent monitoring of medication side effects compound these difficulties.

Not surprisingly, this group of consumers has high rates of acute care utilization and associated costs. In fact, spending for Medicaid beneficiaries with a mental illness is twice that of those without—about $14,000 per year—compared to . . .