mental health insurance could have helped prevent the horrible massacre Newtown, Connecticut last week? According to President Barack Obama. Yes, indirectly
Obama said as much in his speech at the memorial service in honor of the victims earlier this week, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) explicitly includes mental health services the framework of the law. Several shooting sessions in recent years have involved armed men who were mentally unstable and led a somewhat isolated existence. In most of these cases, the gunmen took their own lives after killing their victims.
Historically, the insurance coverage for treatment of mental health was a little hard to get. According to the Substance Abuse and the National Mental latest annual report of health services administration on Drug Use and Health Report survey, one in five American adults reported having a mental illness the last year. While many modern treatments for mental illness are very effective, fewer than half of adults with a diagnosable mental illness receive appropriate treatment. In some cases, this is due to lack of coverage and / or financial resources.
The National Association of the mental state of health program managers, which serves 6.8 million per year for patients, said the general state funding for mental health care has decreased $ 4.35 billion nationally since the budget cuts were made in 09 because of the recession. The number of psychiatric hospital beds has decreased since 09, as well; 3222 beds are not available for patients, and the impending closures can eliminate 1,249 additional beds in the near future.
These statistics are even more alarming when juxtaposed against the information collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In 06 alone, 56 percent of state prisoners, 45 percent of federal inmates and 64 percent of prison inmates had mental health problems. Between 10 percent and 20 percent of people with mental health problems had psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.
The parity of mental health and the 08 Act (MHPAEA) Equity Addiction helped fill some of the gaps in coverage of mental health insurance. The law states that employers with more than 50 employees that include mental health services in their insurance plans are not allowed to cover the psychological diseases to a level below that of other medical conditions. However, problems with the bill exist - namely, the law is not always enforced, and some people still do not receive equal coverage
Under the ACA, small group and plans individual will be required to offer. insurance coverage of mental health in 2014 through a state health insurance exchanges. In addition, all policies sold through exchanges will be required to provide coverage for mental health and addiction. Questions about the types of services covered must still be answered decisively.
0 Komentar