Exploring the rapid expansion of public health programs for mental health and substance use disorders
It should not come as a surprise that the pandemic has negatively affected mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) outcomes. The number of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorders has increased by more than 19 percent since 2020, and the number of annual overdose deaths has reached new heights.
These staggering realities have brought discussions of behavioral health – particularly for high-risk populations – and how to help address behavioral health challenges, to the forefront of many state health initiatives for the new year.
In 2023, 14 states intend to enhance MH/SUD benefits, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s annual Medicaid Budget Survey. Many states have indicated they intend to use community health workers to implement these services, which can be supported by recent increases in federal funding. State agencies may also seek to take advantage of telehealth services that greatly expanded during the pandemic.
Greater national attention to MH/SUD benefits and services can be traced back to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). The MHPAEA protected behavioral health benefits by preventing health insurance issuers from imposing less favorable conditions on those seeking care for MH/SUD. For example, insurers cannot set higher copays or lower visit limits compared to other medical benefits. The act demonstrated a shift toward federal prioritization of mental and behavioral health and paved the way for more recent legislation, like the 2018 SUPPORT Act and the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Many states intend to take advantage of increased federal spending provided by these more recent laws to fund behavioral health and mobile crisis services.
While there is justified concern for the unwinding of the public health emergency and its effects, increased federal funding and the newly ubiquitous telehealth model may encourage states to implement and build upon these newly created programs.
At FEI, we are here to help. Our Blue Compass behavioral health case management solution facilitates streamlined management of state and local mental and behavioral health initiatives. Today, we assist dozens of state and county agencies with our modular platform to help track treatment and prevention initiatives, billing and funds management, assessments, and case management.
