The COVID-19 pandemic is upending nearly every area of our lives—work, home, school and more. For many of us, the impact has been not only on our physical health, but also our mental health, with new concerns and stressors raising our levels of anxiety, and for some depression, and even substance use. Access to behavioral health care is critical right now. But so is more patient-centered, coordinated care.

Did you know that behavioral health conditions can exacerbate chronic health conditions and make them harder—and up to two to three times more expensive—to treat? Taking a full-health approach that integrates the care of mind and body is a key way to deliver better overall health. If you're working hard to keep employees healthy during this incredibly stressful time, how do you ensure employees receive that kind of care? What are your options?

Listen in on our conversation with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina's Susan Foosness, senior business operations advisor in behavioral health, and Dr. Brian Klausner, chief medical officer at WakeMed Key Community Care in Raleigh, North Carolina about why integrated care matters, how it can help your employees and your business, and a powerful new tool BCBS North Carolina is using to make sure employees get the full spectrum of care they need.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina is a licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an association of independently owned and operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. The programs mentioned in this podcast are in no way associated or affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.