New federal decisions that have changed how insurers provide coverage for behavioral health are putting additional pressure on patients who require access to mental health care services due to their current high levels of demand. In the future, when the number of individuals needing mental health services may reach unprecedented levels, proposed policy changes may drastically limit access. The decision not to enforce a previous set of strengthened mental health parity rules, which are intended to provide equal access to mental health care services, when they go into effect in 2025, compounds the uncertainty surrounding how many people will have access to the mental health care service they require.
The inability to access mental health care services places additional burdens on individuals and families looking for mental health care assistance. Patients have difficulty getting the treatment they need, due to high out-of-pocket expenses, limited in-network providers, and long waitlists. According to advocates, challenges by large employers and insurance companies related to administrative and financial costs of implementation of unanswered questions regarding access to mental health care service for working families are causing a widening gap in access to mental health care service.
Professional associations and advocacy organizations are coming together to advocate for continued access to mental health services, including supporting legislators to continue to enforce strong parity laws. They feel that we cannot treat mental health care as a privilege in this time of youth mental health crises, exponential increases in suicide, and businesses facing the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For those individuals at home, the issues being debated may seem far removed and yet, it has a direct impact on whether they can afford to go see their therapist or whether someone they care about can find a psychiatrist who will accept their insurance coverage. Clinicians stress the importance of reaching out for help and looking into community clinics, sliding-scale and telehealth services, while the national debate on access to mental health care continues.
Source: APA Services – Policies Affecting Access to Mental Health Care
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