Dr. Bronner's, the family-owned maker of one of America’s favorite soaps, has expanded its mental healthcare benefits to include Ketamine Assisted Therapy as a first step in providing access to Psychedelic Assisted Therapy to employees as a way of promoting mental health.
This innovative benefit plan is administered by Enthea, a non-profit healthcare organization responsible for medical policy development, provider network management and benefit plan administration.
“Dr. Bronner’s and Enthea have partnered over a shared belief that Psychedelic Assisted Therapies are highly effective for the treatment of many kinds of mental health problems and should be accepted into standard mental healthcare as soon as possible,” stated the company in a press release.
Under the banner “Heal Soul,” Dr. Bronner’s supports numerous public education efforts, advocacy organizations and political campaigns around the country working to advance the acceptance and availability of psychedelic-assisted therapy and medicines to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD and other conditions.
“The health and well-being of our employees is the primary driver in how we think about benefits and compensation. Offering coverage for Ketamine Assisted Therapy is in the interest of providing tools to our workforce to have the best quality of life and best options for mental health care,” said Michael Bronner, president of Dr. Bronner’s. “We are deeply concerned about the mental health crisis society is facing, especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Considering all our advocacy on this issue, this employee benefit is the next logical step.”
Coverage for Dr. Bronner’s employees began on January 1, 2022.
“We are particularly proud of this unique partnership and we applaud Dr. Bronner’s for showing the way for other companies,” said Lia Mix, CEO of Enthea.
Dan Rome, MD, chief medical officer at Enthea noted that the effectiveness of Ketamine Assisted Therapy has been demonstrated through extensive research. "Numerous studies show that, among individuals with chronic health conditions, those who also suffer from mental health disorders are two to three times more costly to the healthcare system than those without. Our society is in dire need of more effective treatments for mental health conditions, to reduce human suffering as well as the economic toll on our overburdened health care system.”
CEO David Bronner said the company strives to effect positive change in all spheres.
“The well-being of our employees is paramount to our company culture. We also know from experience that offering strong benefits helps with employee retention and recruitment. We hope to inspire and be a model for other companies and organizations to also partner with Enthea and offer this potentially lifesaving benefit to their staff,” concluded Bronner.
