With healthcare and employee benefits, it can feel like new challenges are emerging every day. However, year after year employers continue to struggle with a problem that 126 million (one out of two) Americans deal with each year: musculoskeletal (MSK) issues.
MSK issues — such as back and joint pain — have also traditionally been costly to treat. Because of the high prevalence and chronic nature of these conditions, MSK is the number one cost driver of U.S. healthcare spend. Organizations spend an average of $7,800 on each employee struggling with MSK issues. But it’s not just the high cost of treatments — like physical therapy, back surgery and Rx costs— that are creating a challenge.. These issues take a toll on employees’ mental health as well.
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), people experiencing chronic pain are “at heightened risk for mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders.” The APA also estimates that 35% to 45% of people with chronic pain experience depression. In fact, MSK pain and disorders require 38% more time away from work than the average injury.
Traditional approaches have struggled to treat employees dealing with chronic pain. Physical therapy is often inconvenient and leads to low adherence rates over time as a result. Surgical options can be invasive and are expensive for both employees and employers. MSK issues are complex and require an innovative approach..
In this article, we’ll look at how combining HealthJoy’s all-in-one benefits platform with our Virtual MSK Therapy and SurgeryPlus programs can provide 360 support for employees — all from the convenience of their phones.
HealthJoy Virtual MSK Therapy has revolutionized pain management by using neuroscience to formulate a brain-based approach. Our program offers at-home, low-cost exercise therapy to individuals suffering from MSK pain. It’s simple to do, easy to access and focused on quick relief.
Here’s a look at the three-step approach that sets us apart:
Step 1: Address the global motor system
We focus on the global motor system, encouraging multiple body parts to work together. This allows us to engage a different system in the brain than therapies that focus on parts of the body working in isolation. This brain-first approach is global and works for everyone from weekend warriors to marathon runners.
Step 2: Conditioning
Once the brain and the body are reconnected, we turn our attention to local muscles and joints.
This phase looks more like what you'd expect from a traditional approach. But unlike physical therapy, HealthJoy is able to deliver world-class coaching directly to members’ phones without any additional equipment.
Step 3: Address the local motor system
If members don’t achieve at least 80% improvement after completing the first two steps, we utilize the Cross-Education Effect. This helps create a gain in function of the painful limb by exercising the employee’s non-painful side.
When you lose the information for how to move properly on one side of the brain, you still have the other side of the brain as a backup with that information. When neurons fire on one side of the brain, they can jumpstart the other side of the brain to improve function.
HealthJoy Virtual MSK Therapy sets employees up for success by connecting them with a coach who will be there to support and encourage them throughout the whole journey. From the intro call where coaches hear about a member’s history and goals, to the maintenance plans for long-term success after the program ends, HealthJoy’s personal touch boosts adherence rates, results and ultimately savings.
Learn more about how HeathJoy’s MSK approach delivers long-lasting results — including 80% pain relief, even one year after participants completed the program!
Earlier this year, we announced that Employer Direct Healthcare would serve as our surgery network partner. SurgeryPlus combines nationwide access to the highest-quality surgical providers with end-to-end support for patients.
With 1,500+ plannable procedures covered — including orthopedic surgeries like knee and hip replacements — and 500+ locations nationwide, SurgeryPlus makes high-quality surgical care accessible and convenient, all while delivering meaningful cost savings. On average, SurgeryPlus delivers options that are 60% lower than commercial pricing.
What Employees are Saying
“SurgeryPlus was tremendously helpful. There were NO out-of-pocket costs until the surgery was completed. The cost at the end was significantly lower than it would have been had I got through our insurance.” - SurgeryPlus Member
HealthJoy is dedicated to guiding members to the highest quality, most affordable care options that are right for them. We capture goals and preferences through our Member Health Goals questionnaire to provide personalized care recommendations – from both our app and our team of human healthcare concierges. This helps employees achieve their unique health goals — including reducing back and joint pain.
When a member enrolls in SurgeryPlus who should try a conservative approach first, we’re able to impact member behavior by recommending Virtual MSK Therapy. Alternatively, sometimes people go to the MSK program who need to be considered for surgery. The power of our partnership is that we’re able to guide members to the best, cost-efficient care to support the best possible health outcomes.
This partnership is also able to reduce surgical costs in multiple ways:
1. By preventing unnecessary surgeries.
HealthJoy’s MSK program achieves 60% surgical reduction Additionally, SurgeryPlus delivers 30% surgical avoidance, where a surgeon indicates that a member actually doesn't need surgery. From that point, we can step in to guide them to Virtual MSK Therapy rather than outdated, costly physical therapy sessions.
2. Reduce the costs related to necessary surgeries and complications
SurgeryPlus covers the most expensive costs associated with surgery, so employees (and their employers) pay less for their procedures. With over 1,500+ procedures covered and 500+ locations nationwide, employees can access a wide range of best-in-class surgical care for little to no cost.
Virtual MSK Therapy also helps deliver convenient pre-surgical and post-surgical support, which is a key component to the success of the surgery. Our proprietary exercises will ensure the body and the brain are firing again after recovery.
By combining these impactful programs, HealthJoy is able to maximize the support our members feel when dealing with chronic pain. Learn more about the powerful outcomes that MSK Virtual Therapy and SurgeryPlus can produce fueled by the power of HealthJoy’s care navigation platform.