Introduction
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 20% of adults in the United States have a mental health problem (Croft & Parish, 2013). Examples of commonly diagnosed disorders include depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. For many years, the United States’ health policies have neglected the needs of elderly citizens and vulnerable groups. This problem has been worsened by inadequate staffing and a lack of expertise among professionals in the health care system.
On the other hand, substance abuse is a public health issue that has severe implications on the wellbeing of citizens, especially young people. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, substance abuse is an epidemic that affects people of all ages (Croft & Parish, 2013). The enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law was a relief to many Americans especially victims of mental health and substance abuse disorders because it provided full coverage.
Affordable Care Act
The enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 was a positive move toward mitigating mental health and substance abuse problems in the United States. Under the new legislation, small-group and individual market plans are required to provide health care coverage to people with mental health and substance abuse disorders (Croft & Parish, 2013). The Act has three major implications for coverage of individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders.
First, it includes mental health and substance abuse disorders benefits that are offered as part of the Essential Health Benefits available to all Americans (Mechanic, 2012). Second, the Act applies federal parity protections to individuals covered in small and individual markets. Third, it provides more citizens with access to high-quality health care especially people with the aforementioned problems that were not covered by health policies and laws before the enactment of ACA (Mechanic, 2012).
Essential health benefits
The statute postulates that treatment for mental health and substance use disorders is a component of the Essential Health Benefits. In that regard, individuals enjoy behavioral health treatment, mental and behavioral health inpatient services, and substance use disorder treatment. These benefits are available to all Americans regardless of the health issues that afflict them. The ACA ensures that individuals purchasing insurance are guaranteed treatment in case they fall sick regardless of whether their ailments include mental health and substance abuse disorders (Katherine, 2012).
This implies that more than 3.9 million people that have purchased insurance coverage in the individual market will be offered full coverage and will be treated in case they develop mental health or substance abuse disorders (Croft & Parish, 2013). Besides, individuals covered under small-group insurance plans will also enjoy similar coverage and health care benefits. The ACA also requires the application of parity at all treatment levels. For example, intermediate settings that are not classified as either inpatient or outpatient are also covered by the parity law.
Parity in the insurance cover markets
The ACA applies federal parity rules about the provision of mental health and substance abuse disorders services. In that regard, individuals receiving coverage through non-grandfathered plans are supposed to receive coverage similar to that offered under general medical and surgical insurance plans (Katherine, 2012). Treatment and care management limits are covered by parity protections and apply to mental health services.
This implies that more than 7.1 million people covered in the individual market can seek treatment for mental health and substance abuse disorders and enjoy all benefits as postulated in the Act. Also, more than 22.3 million Americans covered under small-group insurance plans will enjoy the benefits of coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders within the postulates of the federal parity law (Mechanic, 2012).
Increased access to quality health care
The inclusion of small-group and individual insurance markets in the Affordable Care Act means that more Americans will have access to quality health care (Mechanic, 2012). In that regard, more than 27 million Americans will get access to quality health care services regardless of their social or economic backgrounds. The government estimates that approximately 32.1 million people will receive coverage for disorders related to mental health and substance abuse.
Moreover, an additional 30.4 million people will enjoy new benefits in addition to the ones they receive under private plans (Katherine, 2012). The Affordable Care Act augments the provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act to provide coverage to more than 60 million Americans.
Conclusion
The enactment of the ACA was welcomed as a positive move toward increasing access to quality health care by Americans. It involved the inclusion of coverage for individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders. As a result, more than 30 million people with such disorders are covered under the Act. The major implications for mental health illness and substance abuse under Obamacare include the provision of essential health benefits, parity in the individual and small-group insurance markets, and increased coverage s well as access to quality health care by Americans.
References
Croft, B., & Parish, S. L. (2013). Care Integration in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Implications for Behavioral Health. Administration and Policy in Mental Health Services Research 40(4), 258-263.
Katherine, N. (2012). Healthcare Reform: Implications for independent Practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 43(60), 535-544.
Mechanic, D. (2012). Seizing opportunities Under the Affordable Care Act for Transforming the Mental and Behavioral Health System. Health Affairs 31(2), 376-382.