Professionals and laypeople alike have continuously questioned the effectiveness of online therapeutic interventions. Much needs to be done to ensure that national healthcare reform and parity live up to their promise for persons with mental illness and addiction disorders, Congressmen and advocates pointed out during a recent policy briefing on mental health.
There’s an unfortunate dual cr of increased demand and service reduction.
Coverage expansion under healthcare reform will result in 5 million new patients entering the public safety net for mental health and addictions treatment, that already struggles to care for 8 million+ children and adults. By the way, the economic recession has resulted in over $ 2 billion in cuts to public mental health services -with more cuts on the horizon -leading to the elimination of services for the uninsured. While relying on services delivered by the safety net, approximately 5 million people with serious mental disorders, individuals with major addiction disorders and homeless persons will remain uninsured.