Will We Need a Separate Mental-Health System in the Future?
If the new federal law equalizing coverage for mental conditions with that for medical-surgical care works as hoped, there may no longer be a need for a public system to handle mental health in the long run, says Michael Hogan, New York state’s mental health commissioner.
Under so-called mental health parity, which was passed well before the new health overhaul legislation, consumers will pay the same deductible and co-pays for both mental and physical health care. The federal parity law covers both in- and out-of-network providers for insurance-plan participants, regardless of whether patients need psychotherapy or treatment for high blood pressure. Annual and lifetime caps on services will be removed. Most health plans must make these changes on or after July 1, depending on when the plan is renewed.
Speaking to a crowd of clinicians, administrators and patients yesterday at an event sponsored by mental-health group NAMI-NYC, Hogan said that much depends on the introduction of mental-health parity being handled smoothly. If the transition is done in a way that’s “genuine and deep” and includes care for people referred by the criminal justice system, then the state eventually “may not need” a separate public mental-health system anymore, he said. Currently the state […]
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