Mind and matter: The link between mental and physical health

People are much more than their physical bodies. The way we think and our moods play a big role in who we are and how we function. Whole health is comprised of the following parts:

• Physical health – Meeting the needs of your body. We are physically healthy when our bodies are functioning well, there is an absence of injury and disease, we use good hygiene and we get regular exercise, good nutrition and adequate sleep. When we struggle with physical health problems, our mental health and social lives often suffer as well.
• Mental health – Maintaining a positive state of mind so we can cope well with the stressors in life and maintain healthy thoughts and feelings. If we struggle with mental illnesses, our physical and social health are negatively impacted, too.
• Social health – The quality of personal relationships, including a sense of belonging in a community and of deep and meaningful connections to other people. People are social animals. We need to spend time with other people, feel valued and understood to stay healthy. Social isolation can lead to mental health disorders, which in turn can cause our physical health to decline.

Think about how your body reacts when you feel a lot of stress, fear or anxiety. Your heart races, your breathing quickens, you may become queasy and feel pressure in your chest. It’s easy to see how experiencing these symptoms for extended periods of time can interfere with how your body works.

Studies have linked mental health to the following physical conditions:

• Heart attacks
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Asthma and other respiratory diseases
• Cancers
• Cardiovascular disease
• Insomnia and sleep apnea

People with long-term, untreated mental illness may have hormonal changes and are less likely to have healthy lifestyles. They may not be eating well, exercising, practicing good hygiene or seeking medical care when they should. These lifestyle choices also increase the risk of developing these conditions:

• Metabolic diseases
• High blood pressure
• Cancers
• Digestive disorders
• Premature aging
• Immune disorders
• Reproductive issues

Research also suggests that mental health problems can worsen chronic pain issues, including fibromyalgia, back problems, migraine headaches and arthritis. Physical pain can also affect our mental well-being. When this happens, people can become caught in an endless cycle of worsening mental and physical health. Physical pain can cause depression and anxiety, which in turn can contribute to diseases and disorders, which worsen the anxiety and depression, which hinder healing and exacerbate physical pain.

Allstate Benefits includes resources to support your employees’ whole health.

Medical care
With Allstate Benefits, you can choose from thousands of plan designs. Our Self-Funded Program can provide coverage for 2 to 500 employees. Self-funded plans include:

• Core Value reference-based pricing designs that pay benefits based on a multiple of the Medicare reimbursement rate or a derived equivalent, delivering great savings potentials.
• Network-only design that pays benefits for emergency and in-network services only. Savings come from eliminating the high cost of out-of-network services.
• PPO design that pays benefits for both in-network and out-of-network services with secured network savings.

If you’re looking for a more traditional health option, check out our Secure Choice fully insured plans. Secure Choice plans are available for small businesses (up to 50 employee members) in select states.¹

Core Value and Secure Choice designs include convenient, cost-effective access to virtual health. Urgent care providers are available 24/7 to treat common illnesses and injuries, and providers can send electronic prescriptions to the member’s pharmacy of choice.

Plan designs can include:

• Virtual musculoskeletal care. With musculoskeletal care, members get a personalized virtual clinical care team that will diagnose, treat and manage musculoskeletal conditions. Initial evaluations and treatment plans for many joint issues have $0 copays2 for all members. Musculoskeletal care in included with our Self-Funded Program.
• Cancer support programs. Support for your plan members with cancer, designed by oncologists, focus on education and healthy behavior changes to help employees take control of their care and achieve better outcomes. Cancer support is included with both self-funded and fully insured plans.

Virtual counseling
Virtual counseling is included with Core Value and Secure Choice plans, and available with all other Allstate Benefits options for members age 10 and older. Virtual counseling sessions by licensed counselors, social workers and therapists are available in as few as 48 hours. Virtual counseling can be ideal for:

• ADHD / ADD
• Anxiety / stress
• Bipolar disorder
• Sleep disorders
• Substance abuse
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Grief / loss
• PTSD
• And more

Flexible family care
All of our plan designs also include flexible family care to help provide companionship and reduce some of the normal stress of life. Your employees get 10 hours per year of flexible family care at no charge.

Papa Caregivers offers flexible care from highly trained and vetted Papa Pals, anytime and anywhere. Papa Pals provide:

• Backup care for children and assistance with homework, snacks, meals and playtime.
• Help with errands, light housework, meal prep and laundry.
• Companionship, transportation and more for aging and ill loved ones.

Contact a Group Health sales executive to learn more about how Allstate Benefits can help your employees stay physically and mentally healthy.