Strong Insurance Laws Ensure Kids Access Mental Health Care

A new study finds that mandating mental and behavioral health insurance coverage for children significantly improves access to care. Researchers examined nearly 30,000 U.S. caregivers and discovered that one in eight struggled to obtain mental health services for their children between 2016 and 2019. However, children living in states with robust mental health insurance laws were 20% less likely to face access barriers compared to those in states with weaker protections (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Comprehensiveness of State Insurance Laws and Perceived Access to Pediatric Mental Health Care

Go to source). Caregivers of Black and Asian children were more likely to report poor access to mental and behavioral health care, as were caregivers of children who experienced more adverse childhood events (ACEs).

Mental Health Care Crisis for Kids

“Unfortunately, in my own practice, I regularly see children who are unable to access needed mental health care, and their symptoms continue to worsen until they reach a crisis point,” said first author Ashley Foster, MD, a pediatric emergency care physician at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco. “That inspired me to study whether more comprehensive laws about mental health insurance coverage can influence whether kids can get the care they need, and that is exactly what we found.”

The study appears in JAMA Network Open.

While legislation appears to influence access, it also matters how well states enforce their laws.

“Even when families have insurance, mental and behavioral health providers may refuse to accept certain insurance types – or insurance altogether,” Foster said. “For those who do access care, there may be high co-pays or deductibles, which can affect perceptions of access.”

To counter this, the authors wrote, states should invest in community-based mental health services, develop a workforce that better reflects the state's cultural diversity and support reimbursement for tele-mental health care.

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Reference:

1. Comprehensiveness of State Insurance Laws and Perceived Access to Pediatric Mental Health Care - (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2822213)

Source-Eurekalert