By Zach Krings
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – According to the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly one in four Americans over the age of 18 suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder. This equates to about 26 percent of the population, or 58 million people.
Due to this staggering number, the health care reform bill has taken action to enact laws that grant employees the same amount of coverage for mental illnesses as for physical ones. This is known as mental health parity.
“The more universal coverage comes, the more mental health care gets parity,” said Dr. Sumner Sydeman, a clinical psychologist and professor at Northern Arizona University.
But how does forcing employers to provide this coverage to their employees save money?
Well, it’s quite simple, according to Disability Rights Oregon. Mental illnesses and substance abuse often result in physical health conditions. For instance, hospitalization and observation for attempted suicide would likely cost more than therapy.
With the Mental Health Parity Act, places such as the Northern Arizona Regional Behavioral Health Authority (NARBHA) would be able to help those with this new mental health plan become acquainted with the system. NARBHA offers services that will help a person choose a mental health provider from that person’s provider network.
However, until this act is implemented, many in Flagstaff and around the nation will remain without care.
Congress has pushed back the date that the act will take effect until January 1, 2010. Those in need of mental health insurance don’t have much longer to wait. This act will soon be in place, but that doesn’t mean that all the issues have been worked out.
“I think it’s going to have a lot of problems,” said Sydeman, “but something has to be done.”
One of the problems the act faces is a major loophole for employers. The act is not mandated, so employers don’t have to provide this coverage to their employees, said the American Psychological Association Practice Organization. Also, the act will not cover the uninsured, or those who work in places with less than 50 employees
Though the Mental Health Parity Act is not perfect, it will be a foundation for the future of mental health care insurance.
“I think that the current mental health system is just totally broken,” Sydeman said. “I know it’s going to be expensive, but we’ve got the worst health care…and this isn’t going to fix it, but we have to start somewhere.”
