Unum, McLean Hospital and Meru Health partner for behavioral health

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (April 12, 2021) – Unum (NYSE: UNM), a leading provider of financial protection benefits in the U.S. and U.K., is collaborating with McLean Hospital and Meru Health to develop a holistic benefits solution focused on prevention to help employers support the behavioral health of employees.

Behavioral health challenges include stress, burnout, depression, anxiety and substance use disorders.

Unum Behavioral Health, available in May 2021, will include a web portal that will help workers navigate to the right preventative and early intervention support such as access to a licensed therapist, coach and a robust library of mental health resources. For companies and businesses, it helps normalize the conversation around mental health through executive education and training. It also leverages McLean Hospital’s expertise in mental health education and Meru Health’s therapeutic platform to sustain, restore, and maintain strong mental health.

Unum has seen a 20 percent year-over-year increase in mental health claims through its disability benefits, leave administration and return-to-work services.

“Our collaboration with McLean Hospital and Meru Health has positioned us to respond to an urgent need in the market for a comprehensive behavioral health solution for employers,” said Rick McKenney, President and CEO of Unum Group. “While there are many point solutions available, our long history of helping people through behavioral health challenges has led us to believe that a more robust approach is needed to focus on the whole lifecycle of employee mental wellbeing.”

McLean Hospital, a leader in psychiatric care, research, and education, develops educational content that reduces stigma, while increasing awareness among broad audiences about the impact mental health has on everyone.

“Now more than ever it is critical for employers to have the tools necessary to destigmatize mental illness, focus on sustaining wellbeing and help people overcome behavioral health challenges,” said Dr. Philip G. Levendusky, Director of Psychology at McLean Hospital, and Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “While COVID-19 has exacerbated and emphasized this need, it has always been there and continues to grow in importance.”

Meru Health, an online mental healthcare provider, offers a comprehensive digital solution for people struggling with depression, anxiety, burnout, and stress.

“We’re thrilled to provide the therapeutic core of this new solution, which will advance our goal of empowering 10 million people suffering mental health challenges by 2027,” said Kristian Ranta, CEO and Founder of Meru Health. “The workplace represents such a major part of people’s daily lives that integrating mental health care into the employee experience is essential.”

Unum will distribute the Behavioral Health solution as part of its growing suite of employer offerings.

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ABOUT UNUM GROUP
Unum Group (www.unum.com) provides a broad portfolio of financial protection benefits and services through the workplace and is a leading provider of disability income protection worldwide. Through its Unum US, Unum UK, Unum Poland, and Colonial Life businesses, the company provides disability, life, accident, critical illness, dental and vision benefits that protect millions of working people and their families. Unum also provides leave and absence management services that streamline the leave experience for employers and employees and stop-loss coverage to help self-insured employers protect against medical costs. Unum reported revenues of $13.2 billion in 2020 and provided $7.6 billion in benefits.

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ABOUT McLEAN HOSPITAL

McLean Hospital has a continuous commitment to put people first in patient care, innovation and discovery, and shared knowledge related to mental health. It is consistently named the #1 freestanding psychiatric hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. McLean Hospital is the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a member of Mass General Brigham.

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ABOUT MERU HEALTH

Meru Health is setting a new standard in mental healthcare with the most comprehensive online solution that combines licensed therapists and psychiatrists, a smartphone-based treatment program, a biofeedback wearable, and anonymous peer-support groups. The company is committed to evidence-based care and has published groundbreaking clinical outcomes with Stanford, Harvard, and UC Davis that demonstrate 2-3X better clinical effectiveness and longer lasting results versus the standard of care in the U.S. today. Meru partners with major health insurance providers like Cigna, Humana and Moda Health, as well as leading businesses who want to provide best-in-class mental health care for their employees or members. 

For more information, visit www.meruhealth.com