News you can use: December 2023
The Mercury News: Mental health parity laws aren’t working. Santa Clara County wants to take action
“Despite several federal and state laws passed in the last few decades to make sure health insurance companies are covering physical and mental health the same, many are still not getting the mental health treatment they need. Now, Santa Clara County wants to join the fight for mental health parity.”
Washington Post: Health insurance is keeping your mind sick and wallet empty
“Sixty-nine percent of insured Americans under 18 who sought behavioral health care from January 2019 to April 2022 did not receive treatment, a survey from researchers at the University of Chicago revealed this week. Adults didn’t fare much better. Fifty-seven percent who sought care received none.”
CNN: In therapy? In Argentina, it’s the norm
“A 2005 World Health Organization study ranked Argentina as the world leader in psychologists per capita, at 106 psychologists per 100,000 people… By comparison, according to the American Psychological Association, based on 2012 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 33 clinical, counseling and school psychologists per 100,000 people in the United States”
CBS 60 Minutes: California’s mental health CARE Court aims to help thousands with untreated psychotic disorders
60 Minutes reported on California’s controversial CARE Court initiative, interviewing Gov. Gavin Newsom as well as opponents of the program, who say that it is coercive and could lead to people being locked up in psychiatric facilities and treated without their consent.
Center for Health Journalism: Therapists in California Want to Provide Affordable Mental Health Care. Here’s What’s Stopping Them.
“California has the highest rate of unmet mental health treatment needs in the country. Research indicates it’s hard for clients to find a therapist who accepts their insurance, especially among people who are covered by a private health insurance plan through their job or Covered California. Californians with a private PPO plan were 5.6 times more likely to have a therapist who doesn’t take their insurance compared to their medical doctor.”