Medical Xpress August 12, 2024
When states require insurers to cover mental and behavioral health, children get better access to care, according to a UC San Francisco-led study of nearly 30,000 U.S. caregivers.
They found that 1 in 8 caregivers had difficulty accessing mental health services for their children between 2016 and 2019. But those who lived in states with the most comprehensive mental and behavioral health coverage laws were about 20% less likely to report trouble accessing care than those who lived in states with the least comprehensive laws.
Caregivers of Black and Asian children were more likely to report poor access to mental and behavioral health care, as were caregivers of children who experienced more adverse childhood events (ACEs).
“Unfortunately, in my own...