The Healthcare Policy Area I Choose For The Research Is Mental Health

There are a lot of different types of mental health.. For an example bipolar is a mental illness where people are happy one

The Mental Healthcare has failed the patients that they are supposed to be helping. According to Huffingtonpost.com “The national alliance on mental illness in 2009 gave America’s mental health

An interesting finding by Huskamp and Iglehart (2016) is that between the Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there should be a rise in people with mental illness seeking services, however, services are underutilized more than ever (Huskamp & Iglehart, 2016). According to Bendant (2014), in 2013 a total of 47 million people uninsured and 25% of those suffer mental illness (Bendant, 2014). These numbers are staggering for a service that is more inclusive now more than ever. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) site indicates that the MHPA is regulated differently depending on the state (CMS, n. d.). The Department of Labor (DOL) has identified a few problems with the MHPA and addressed these issues to Congress via a 2017 report (DOL, n.

Mental illness is nondiscriminatory, can affect any person and transcends all social boundaries. As a result, the issues surrounding mental illness have become common discussion pints among policymakers dedicated or required to formulate solutions around providing the long-term care needed by many patients. Healthcare reforms and changes to the systems that provide services to those living with mental illness and funding for services to the facilities providing care have become major social issues (Goldman, Morrissey, Ridgley, Frank, Newman, & Kennedy, 1992). The reason for this is primarily how it can affect a market economy and how much of a burden diseases of the mind can be in a country such as the United States. According to the 1991 Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization mental health burden accounted for “more than 15% in a market economy such as the U.S.” (The Impact of Mental Illness on Society, 2001). The study also states that for individuals over the age of 5, varying forms of depression are the leading cause of disability. A more recent study indicates that mental illness in general is found in more than 26% of the United States adult population, of which 6% are severe and limit the patient’s ability to function (Martin, p. 163. 2007).

Medicaid coverage and financing augmented access to a variety of behavioral health services, including psychiatric care, counseling, prescription medications, inpatient treatment, case management and supportive housing. Medicaid expansion states have seen higher rates of healthcare utilization in terms of medication and services for the treatment of behavioral and mental health conditions, highlighted by studies that have shown that Medicaid expansion is associated with increases in Medicaid-covered prescriptions for and Medicaid spending on medications to treat opioid use disorder and opioid overdose (1). States that have expanded Medicaid through Section 1115 Waivers experienced coverage gains similar to the states that implemented traditional Medicaid expansions (1). In fact, Indiana made large gains in Medicaid enrollment and the uninsured rate reductions between 2013 and 2015 were higher than the average decrease among the expansion states (1).

Mental illness: Mental illness is a term that is used to describe a condition that affects many people, this condition is often a serious disorder in a person's behaviour or thinking. Mental illness affects around 10-25% of people living in the UK at some point in their life. [Sabp, 2015] There are many different types of mental illnesses; Examples of mental illness include depression, phobias, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, addictive behaviours and schizophrenia. Mental illnesses can range fro m minor illnesses such as having a phobia to being more severe such as having depression or anxiety. [Mayoclinic, 2015] All of these metal illnesses can be treated in some way however they can become a serious part of a

The piece of this health reform act related to mental health stipulates that there be state laws mandating or regulating mental health benefits ("NCSL," 2012). This author has found no literature that indicates the effectiveness of the PPACA. Perhaps it is too early to determine the success or failure of the PPACA.

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) is an act that requires parity or equality between mental health treatment and medical/surgical treatment covered by private and public insurers with over 50 employees. That means that if an insurance covers mental health issues they can’t impose more stringent limits and financial requirements than medical/surgical coverage. The act was signed into law in 2008 by President George W. Bush. Before the act was signed into law, mental health care was not as affordable or accessible for individuals. (United States Department of Labor, 2016)

I read a news article on Medscape which talks about increasing access to mental health care. The rule require provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 to apply to the majority of Medicaid plans and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (Brooks, 2015). The act ensures that mental health and substance use disorder benefits are no more restrictive than medical and surgical services (Brooks, 2015). I strongly believe that individuals deserve access to quality mental health services and substance use disorder services. In addition, improving quality and access to care will impacts the health of our nation. The proposed rule ensures that all beneficiaries who receive services through a managed care plan or

American history is littered with tails of reform and revolution. Earlier on in America’s young life, revolution included war, struggle for basic human rights and dignity as well as radical tactics taken by the public. As time went on Americans learned that revolution and reform could occur through the government systems that our forefathers had put in place. The battle for human rights has all but ended but the way in which Americans wage war is a different story altogether. Now American’s fight for better public healthcare, equal rights for homosexual individuals and couples, and stricter standards for social welfare programs.

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) was enacted on October 3, 2008 as sections 511 and 512 of the Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008. MHPAEA amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act), and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Federal Register, 2013). The MHPAEA is an extension of the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, which prohibited annual or aggregate lifetime financial limits on mental health coverage by addressing other restrictions, such as limits on outpatient visits or inpatient days (DOL, 2010). MHPAEA expands parity requirements to treatment limitations, financial requirements, and in- and out-of-network covered benefits (Smaldone, 2010). It also expands the opportunity of mental health parity requirements at the federal level and includes substance use disorders within its scope. Prior to 1996, health insurance coverage for mental illness had historically been less generous than that of other physical illness (Sarata, 2011). Mental health parity is a response to this disparity in insurance coverage, and generally refers to the concept that health insurance coverage for mental health services should be offered equally with covered medical and surgical benefits (Smaldone, 2010).

Mental illness costs Americans $201 billion a year between hospital visits, prescriptions, and therapy visits. (Health Affairs). As high as the costs those costs seem to be, 56% of Americans with a mental health issue are still not receiving proper treatment. (Psychology Today). The number of people left untreated does not have

The Legislature and governor finalized agreements based on the following: the Healthy Kids Dental program, mental health and substance abuse service improvements for veterans, better coordinated care for those with chronic mental health conditions, mental health innovation grants for high risk children and youths, infant mortality reduction proposals, and Health and Wellness advantages (Hudson, 2013). In comparison, the fiscal year 2015 proposed budget investments included health and human services within the realms of Medicaid expansion, pediatric commitment, and mental health support. Within the Department of Community Health budget, Medicaid makes up 90% of the entire budget (Snyder, 2014). This funding support for the expansion of Medicaid coverage allows for health advances within the Michigan population below the federal poverty

Lack of access to mental health care and treatment is one of the top ten reasons that many mental health conditions go untreated. Many private and group health insurance plans only include minimal mental health care coverage or do not incorporate mental health care coverage at all. Over half of adult citizens of the United States of America, who possess a mental illness, do not obtain mental health care treatment. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one out of every five adults in America have endured their own mental health difficulty, and one out of every twenty-five American adults suffer from a severe mental illness, such as major depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. (Top 5 Barriers to Mental Healthcare Access, Social Solutions.com, 2017)

One in five adults has a mental health condition, that's over 40 million Americans; more than the populations of New York and Florida combined (Mental Health in America, 2017). More Americans have access to health care services by the Affordable Care Act. Access to insurance and treatment increased, as healthcare reform has reduced the rates of uninsured adults. The greatest decrease in uninsured adults with mental illnesses was seen in states that expanded Medicaid, but most Americans still lack access to care; 56% of American adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment (Mental Health in America, 2017). Even in Maine, the state with the best access, 41.4% of adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment (Mental Health in America, 2017). There is a serious