The recent U.S. News and World Report article titled “Mental Health Now Covered Under ACA, but Not for Everyone” is a must-read for anyone trying to understand where mental health care and Obamacare intersect.
The good news is that when it comes to mental health coverage, things are getting better but we’re still far from parity with medical insurance coverage.In reading the article, there are a few key takeaways that I want to share:
- The law allows young adults, up to age 26, to remain on their parents’ health plans – important because half of all mental health and substance abuse conditions begin by age 14, and three-quarters begin by the age of 24. Not to mention the difficulty young people have in accessing and paying for their own coverage.
- Insurance companies can’t reject you because of pre-existing conditions such as depression or other mood disorders, psychotic disorders and drug and alcohol addiction.
- Twenty-one states have opted out of expanded Medicaid coverage that would have paid for mental health care. But there are other states that have vastly improved access to treatment and quality of care. DC and Maryland are all in. Virginia is considering the plan with amendments but, as of today, they have opted out.
So, for now, insurance coverage for mental health treatment is still a hodgepodge and a matter of being in the right state at the right time. So, pick carefully where you live when you need mental health support.