Future Research Can Guide Employer, Policy Strategies to Improve Workforce Well-Being: Refat Rasul Srejon, MPH

In the third and final part of this interview, Refat Rasul Srejon, MPH, lead investigator of "ACA Dependent Coverage Extension and Young Adults' Substance-Associated ED Visits," a study published in the September 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care^®, discusses how employers and policy makers can design health benefits to improve workforce wellbeing. He concludes by highlighting key areas for further research based on his findings.

Revisit parts 1 and 2 to learn more about the study's background and results.

This transcript has been lightly edited; captions were auto-generated.

Transcript

How should employers and policy makers approach comprehensive health benefits, including mental health and substance use treatment, to improve workforce well-being?

Employers and policy makers should design benefits that cover substance use-related [emergency department (ED)] visit screenings, evidence-based treatment, including behavioral health counseling, and continuity of care, such as post-discharge follow-up. Policies [should also] reduce prior authorization barrier support, such as telehealth facilities, and promote parity between mental health and substance use services.

Medical benefits will increase uptake, I believe. Employer wellness programs should also be included, [as well as] a confidential, accessible pathway to care and paid leave for treatment. All these measurements of outcomes and intake of community resources are also essential, I think.

What further research is needed to build upon these findings?

For future research, I'll suggest, based on our study, what we found, the future researchers should take one step further. They might conduct state-level analyses to examine how Medicaid expansion and local treatment capacity affect Medicaid outcomes. Link emergency department data with outpatient treatment and mortality records to trace care trajectories and evaluate long-term outcomes.

Also, they can examine how illicit drug market changes, such as fentanyl, interact with other coverage effects.