by B D Repa

Created on: September 01, 2010

Mental Health Coverage in the United States

Access to the full continuum of health care is an important issue in the United States today.  A significant focus on health care coverage for all citizens of the United States is present in public and political debate.  The continuum of care begins with prenatal care and continues throughout an individual’s life to palliative care at the end of life, encompassing disease prevention and the various levels of disease treatment.  One component of the continuum of care often overlooked in the United States is mental health care.  Further development and improved access to mental health care is essential for guaranteeing that every member of society is receiving the full continuum of care in the United States.

A wide range of health care professionals provide mental health services to a substantial portion of the population, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and therapists.  Data provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation (2008) puts the number of adults with a serious mental illness in 2002 at 11,782,202. Even though this figure represents a considerable portion of the population, mental health care typically does not receive adequate attention in the health care debate, which is made evident by the inadequate coverage of mental health services by many insurance plans.

Health insurance plans often place stringent restrictions on the amount of service patients receive in a mental health care setting.  Although the federal government and many states passed parity laws to improve access to mental health care, managed care plans still limit treatment for mental health treatment.  Many managed care plans advocate the use of a primary care physician as the source of treatment for mental illness.  The use of a primary care physician relies solely on medication to treat mental illness even though studies show that medication combined with therapy from a qualified mental health professional is more effective at treating mental illness.  These limitations on private sector mental health benefits add a significant burden to the public health system.  Medicaid is the largest provider of mental health coverage in the United States.  Although the Medicaid system provides mental health coverage, limitations on eligibility hinder the program’s ability to provide mental health services.

Mental health care is also crucial for ensuring effective physical

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>