USA Today (1/8, O’Donnell, DeMio) reports that as Republicans work to repeal the Affordable Care Act, “people with addiction and mental health disorders, their families and” some healthcare professionals “wonder how patients would maintain their sobriety – and psyches – without insurance coverage.” The article says those who have benefited the most from the ACA “are the ones most likely to suffer from poor mental health and addiction.” Almost “30% of those who got coverage through Medicaid expansion have a mental disorder, such as anxiety or schizophrenia, or an addiction to substances, such as opioids or alcohol, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.” By comparison, about “20% of the overall population – 68 million people…experienced a mental health or substance abuse disorder in the past year, the American Psychiatric Association says.”
Related Links:
— “Obamacare repeal jeopardizes mental health, addiction coverage,”Jayne O’Donnell, USA Today, January 8, 2017.