Fierce Healthcare May 13, 2019
Only 43% of the 44.7 million adults with any mental health disorder received treatment and fewer than 11% of patients with substance use disorders received treatment in 2016, a new AHA report says. The group is calling for increased policy support for behavioral health care access.
Issues such as the opioid epidemic and an increased suicide rate in the U.S. are increasing demand for behavioral health care services even as challenges such as workforce shortages and payment policies are restricting patient access.
But policy changes such as improved reimbursement could help the nation’s hospitals better address those access issues, according to a new analysis from the American Hospital Association.
“While nearly one in five Americans is affected by a behavioral...