Universal Health Coverage for Mental Health

One of the biggest challenges in mental health has always been the access to mental health care services, support and resources. A very big part of Universal Health Coverage is ensuring equal, affordable access to professional mental health support and services.

Understanding Universal Health Coverage for Mental Health 

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) aims to ensure that everyone has the access, or the opportunity to access necessary health services without facing financial issues. It works towards ensuring all individuals can access mental health care when they need it. However, mental health services are underrepresented in or not given their due significance within this framework, and are often overlooked. According to research, there are 80% coverage gaps for common mental health conditions in low-income countries.

Importance of Integrating Mental Health into UHC

• Improved overall health: An integration of mental health with physical health enhances overall health, well-being outcomes and combined services can be more effective and cheaper.
• Reduced stigma: Promoting mental health through UHC would reduce the stigma, discrimination and exclusion faced by individuals suffering from mental health issues.
• Economic considerations: Supporting mental health care is not only beneficial on an individual, community, societal level but also at an economical level, as the cost of untreated mental disorders is estimated at around $387 billion annually.

Current State of Mental Health Coverage in US 

In the United States, mental health care is covered under most insurance plans but there are issues with high bills or costs, insufficient providers that would be covered, and so on.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that mental health and substance use disorder services are deemed as essential health benefits. Medicaid Expansion offers mental health coverage to low-income individuals in states that have expanded Medicaid under the ACA. Further, Medicare provides mental health coverage for the elderly population as well as individuals with disabilities; however, psychotherapy is not completely covered.

There are of course, issues in accessing mental health care as well as coverage for the same, especially for marginalized or vulnerable communities on grounds of language, stigma, financial burden even with insurance, limited access in remote areas.

Access to Mental Health Care 

According to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), approximately 1 in 5 adults have a mental health concern, but less than half receive treatment.

Over 21% of adults experience mental illness but many cannot find adequate care due to high costs and insufficient insurance coverage.

Moreover, on a global level, 70% of individuals with mental health needs do not receive necessary treatment.

Individuals belonging to a low socio-economic background or rural residents, people from marginalized communities have a hard time accessing mental health services due to a limited access and low availability of affordable mental health services.

There are community mental health centers that offer affordable and sliding-scale therapy(wherein therapists offer discounted rates as per the needs of the clients), including federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), but as there is a high demand for these, often there are very few to zero slots available. You can search for affordable mental health services near me to find such services that are easily available nearby.

Global Mental Health Initiatives 

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized how COVID-19 brought about the global mental health crisis, increasing prevalence of mental health issues on a global level. Moreover, WHO also emphasized integration of mental health care into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as part of its Mental Health Action Plan 2023-2030.

In United Kingdom, mental health services are provided free of cost through the National Health Service (NHS). In Australia, Medicare-funded mental health services of both therapeutic sessions and psychiatric care are offered to individuals.

These global initiatives are not only advancing mental health care and support, but also increasing access to treatment by providing, promoting an equal opportunity to access mental health services. This requires a collaborative effort on the part of the government, NGOs and healthcare providers to mitigate the challenges highlighted.

Mental Health Coverage Policies

 Effective and transparent mental health coverage policies are important for ensuring that individuals receive the care and support they need. Policymakers must create and update existing policies to promote inclusivity and integrate mental health into primary healthcare systems to showcase their importance alongside physical health. This approach not only normalizes mental health care but also reduces stigma associated with it.

Bridging Mental health with UHC: What can we do? 

To address the challenges of accessing mental health care and integrate mental health into UHC, several actions are recommended:

• Increase in Funding: Government can put 5-10% of their health budget specifically towards mental health services to ensure the availability of adequate, appropriate mental health resources for all
• Policy Development: Integration of mental health into existing legislations and policies on an active basis is important to implement community-based care models that are accessible and affordable for all
• Increase Provider Accessibility: By offering incentives to mental health professionals and increasing utilization of telehealth, mental health care access can be provided even in remote and high-need areas
• Expanding Coverage: Increasing the funds or reimbursement rates of health providers can also help in expanding the mental health benefits for all
• Increasing Awareness: Sharing information about mental health coverage policies helps individuals navigate the system, increases knowledge and the opportunity to access mental health care and further reduces stigma about seeking help.

Achieving Universal Health Coverage for mental health requires many efforts to improve access, affordability and policy development. It is an essential step to move forward as only by improving access to mental health care can we create an inclusive healthcare system that addresses the needs and requirements of all individuals. At NABHS, we are committed to this mission of making mental health available to all.