Delaware County, Pennsylvania – Mental health advocates along with medical professionals asked for a mental health coverage reform from the state Democratic Policy Committee (DPC).
In a council chamber hearing on Wednesday, state representatives, the DPC chairman, and other leaders discussed how to provide those with mental health diagnosis a better health care access and treatment. Being mentally-ill would require frequent visits to urgent care clinics for proper health care and treatment of their condition.
State Rep. Margo Davidson said the system needs to be fixed, asking for equality, so that people with brain disease and illness can have access to what they need. During the hearing, Davidson emphasized her son’s Schizoaffective disorder which did not qualify for the health insurance, because insurance companies only pay for partial hospitalization, hospitalization, and intensive outpatient services. It took her nine months fighting with the insurance company just to achieve the level of health care her son needs. This could be a significant consideration why a mental health coverage reform is required.
Alyssa Goodin, Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania director of policy and advocacy also discussed about proper care. She said expanding the current Medicaid program would be a good way of increasing access towards behavioral health services, benefiting both the job growth and the state’s economy. However, she pointed out that this will only serve as a safety net for those with medical insurance without a comprehensive behavioral coverage. It could also serve as an urgent care near me relief for them.
Additionally, Governor Tom Corbett proposed his own version referred to as the ‘Healthy Pennsylvania’. But Goodin opposed the proposal. She said Corbett’s plan would only reduce health services and the Medicaid benefits. Instead, she suggested a federal law mandate to the committee, indicating that private insurers should provide behavioral health benefits without restrictions to physical health. People suffering from any mental disorder would need urgent care similar to those with physical disabilities.
Goodin recommended a statewide legislation that is geared towards the mental health coverage reform to implement parity successfully. The Ambrosia Treatment Center marketing director Chris Peters also gave a testimony that mirrored Goodin’s perceptions. An individual visiting an urgent care clinic or any health facility along with a medical insurance should not hesitate whether behavioral health services will be covered or otherwise.
Devereux chief medical officer Dr. Marilyn Benoit said diseases are normally defined through the organs of origins, but all feelings and actions, whether a thought, perception, feeling, or behavior originate in the brain, thus, everything is affected while the brain is sick. As part of the mental health coverage reform, the society must admit that mental illnesses are really brain diseases, and ignoring them could result in serious brain disorders.
