Mental health benefits hard to come by, even after Affordable Care Act

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.livewellnebraska.com/health/mental-health-benefits-hard-to-come-by-even-after-affordable/article_e0b82092-95e7-11e4-94f4-63dfb68b4061.html

Posted: Wednesday, January 7, 2015 1:00 am
By Lisa Gillespie / Kaiser Health New

Even though more Americans than before have access to health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act, getting mental health services can still be challenging.

A report released in November concludes that despite a 2008 mental health parity law, some state exchange health plans may have a way to go to even the playing field between mental and physical benefits. The report, released by the advocacy group Mental Health America, was paid for by Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. and Lundbeck U.S.A., a pharmaceutical company that specializes in neurology and psychiatric treatments.

The report listed the states with the lowest prevalence of mental illness and the highest rates of access to care as Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, North Dakota and Delaware. Those with the highest prevalence of mental illness and most limited access are Arizona, Mississippi, Nevada, Washington and Louisiana.

Among its other findings:

— 42.5 million adults in America, 18.19 percent, suffer from a mental health issue.

— 19.7 million, or 8.46 percent, have a substance abuse problem.

— 8.8 million, or 3.77 percent of Americans, have reported serious thoughts of suicide.

— The highest rates of emotional, behavioral or developmental issues among young people occur just west of the Appalachian Mountains, where poverty and social inequality are pervasive.

FULL story at link.

[pennylane100]

1. The sad thing is that providing mental health care is cost effective

yet we still, as a nation, do not understand that.

A few years ago there was an act of arson in the mall close to where I live. A young man started a fire in the place and soon, with the police acting like honorary members of the Keystone Cops and a Fire Department unable to get it under control, a considerable amount of damage was done and it cost millions of dollars and several months of closing some of the businesses to repair the damage.

The kid that set the fire had some serious mental issues and his mother was unable to get him the psychiatric help that he needed because he did not have medical coverage. He was probably just trying to get someone's attention and no one would listen because he was uninsured.

I believe that the cost of repair, including a lost sales tax revenue, would have funded a community mental health program for several years but the "spend a pound to save a penny" mentality made sure that did not happen.

[liberal_at_heart]

2. K&R