According to Modern Healthcare (6/20, Tepper, Subscription Publication), although “the U.S. faces an ongoing mental health crisis in the aftermath of the illness, death, social disruption and economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic…chronic gaps persist in access to mental healthcare despite the enactment of major” mental health parity “laws meant to guarantee that health insurance covers these services.”
This year, “more than 20% of U.S. adults reported having mental illnesses…according a survey by the advocacy organization Mental Health America,” and “among those, 55% said they were unable to obtain treatment.” While “a shortage of mental and behavioral health practitioners is a significant part of the problem, as is a stigma against seeking care,” it still comes down to the fact that “health insurance coverage of mental healthcare doesn’t measure up to other forms of care, particularly when it comes to the size and variety of clinicians participating in provider networks.”
Related Links:
— “Why insurers’ mental health coverage falls short,” Nona Tepper, Modern Healthcare, June 20, 2023