More mental health care covered by insurance, but disparities in treatment persist

The share of mental health treatment expenditures financed by private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid increased from 44% in 1986 to 68% in 2014, according to a study published this week in Health Affairs. In contrast, the share of substance use disorder treatment financed by insurers was relatively unchanged over the period, increasing from 45% to 46%, the study found. The share of adults receiving mental health treatment increased from 12.6% to 14.6% between 2004 and 2013, while only 1.2%-1.3% of adults received substance use disorder treatment over the period. According to a separate study in the same issue, mental health treatment rates continued to increase in 2014, but racial and ethnic disparities in access to mental health services persist. Despite gains in health coverage across multiple racial/ethnic groups, treatment rates for substance use disorders did not increase. “This suggests that gains in insurance coverage alone are not likely to push forward meaningful reductions in mental health treatment disparities or increase consistently low overall substance use treatment rates,” the authors said.