Health care reform and mental health

[Sharon411]

As I'm sure you are aware, treatment of DSMIV TR disorders are paid for by insurance companies to a maximum amount per year (hospital days or number or outpatient therapy sessions). Labor day weekend, I had the pleasure to meet with representatives of (and I will not name which ) insurance companies, and community members to listen to their thoughts on health care reform. Now, is the time to place mental health issues on the platform. Please respon with your ideas and suggestions as I will personally review all.

With warm regards,

Sharon:nurse:

[Sharon411]

I want to read your thoughts

[DDRN4me]

I work in a facility for children with mental health issues.

What we see most is the agencies that fund this care (Insurance, usually funded by the state) and DCF think that we can "fix" a child in a 5 day period... when it may take weeks for med changes to take effect!!

not to mention that they expect immediate lab results and specialist appts!

I guess my wish is that the mental health issues be deemed as important as physical health issues!

[lucianne]

In a word: parity

[nurse15dc]

I work in a facility for children with mental health issues.

What we see most is the agencies that fund this care (Insurance, usually funded by the state) and DCF think that we can "fix" a child in a 5 day period... when it may take weeks for med changes to take effect!!

not to mention that they expect immediate lab results and specialist appts!

I guess my wish is that the mental health issues be deemed as important as physical health issues!

This has been my experience also. Sadly, I don't see any easy answers for the lack of funding for behavioral health. If anything the problem of reimbursement for mental health care has gotten much worse in the past 15-20 yrs. It's sad, but I think that this trend will continue.