HEALTH CARE REFORM FOR THE MENTALLY ILL:
PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABILITY CARE ACT
"People with mental illnesses will significantly benefit from the health care law passed in 2010, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Insufficient insurance coverage has prevented many people with mental illnesses from obtaining needed treatment, and quality care is often hard to find. The health care reform law addresses both these problems. In addition to requiring that individuals obtain insurance coverage, the law:
* Set minimum standard for health insurance policies that can be purchase by businesses and individuals through state level Exchanges,
* Make significant improvements to Medicaid including expanding the number of people who qualify for the significant extensive Mental Health coverage Medicaid covers.
* Authorizes demonstrations and tests of approaches that it is hoped to improve the quality of healthcare.
* Creates several new options for long-term care of people with disabilities,
* Expands Medicaid eligibility, allowing childless adults who are not classified as having a disability to qualify for the program.
* Improve the coordination of primary care and mental health services for people using the public mental health system
* Encourage medical homes that address a person's total healthcare needs, including mental health substance abuse needs.
* Greatly improves a Medicaid state option for home and community based services with disabilities, including those with serious mental illnesses and
* Expands Medicaid's focus on home and community based care
Insufficient insurance coverage has prevented many people with mental illnesses from obtaining needed treatment, and quality care is often hard to find. The health care reform law addresses both these problems. In addition to requiring that individuals obtain insurance coverage, the law:
* Set minimum standard for health insurance policies that can be purchase by businesses and individuals through state level Exchanges,
* Make significant improvements to Medicaid including expanding the number of people who qualify for the significant extensive Mental Health coverage Medicaid covers.
* Authorizes demonstrations and tests of approaches that it is hoped to improve the quality of healthcare.
* Creates several new options for long-term care of people with disabilities,
* Expands Medicaid eligibility, allowing childless adults who are not classified as having a disability to qualify for the program.
* Improve the coordination of primary care and mental health services for people using the public mental health system
* Encourage medical homes that address a person's total healthcare needs, including mental health substance abuse needs.
* Greatly improves a Medicaid state option for home and community based services with disabilities, including those with serious mental illnesses and
* Expands Medicaid's focus on home and community based care
"Many individuals with mental illnesses will now have access to health insurance that covers mental health and substance abuse services on a par with the coverage of medical and surgical care. Those who cannot afford insurance will qualify for subsidies that will help them pay for it. Insurers will have to meet certain requirements, including covering people regardless of any pre-existing condition.
Several other provisions in this law will also help people with mental illness, such as prevention programs, improvements to Medicare's drug benefit, a new insurance plan for long-term community care, reauthorization of the children's state health insurance program (SCHIP) along with other changes."
For more information on healthcare reform and how it directly effects the mental health community, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health-care
Article from
Judge David L. Bazelon
Center for Mental Health Law
www.bazelon.org
Several other provisions in this law will also help people with mental illness, such as prevention programs, improvements to Medicare's drug benefit, a new insurance plan for long-term community care, reauthorization of the children's state health insurance program (SCHIP) along with other changes."
For more information on healthcare reform and how it directly effects the mental health community, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health-care
Article from
Judge David L. Bazelon
Center for Mental Health Law
www.bazelon.org
This site does not provide medical or any other health care advice, diagnosis or treatment
