State seeks to increase access to mental health care

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Gov. Tom Wolf‘s administration launched a multi-departmental initiative this week to provide mental health services for all Pennsylvanians that will culminate in an incentive program to facilitate the integration of behavioral health services with physical health services among the state’s providers and insurers.

Pennsylvania Insurance Department officials say the state’s insurance companies do not provide adequate access to health care as mandated by state and federal guidelines, prompting the need for state agencies to institute stronger parity regulations. The Department of Human Services plans to incentivize managed care organizations to maintain mental health benefits in addition to physical health benefits.

The so-called ‘Reach out PA: your health matters’ initiative will be modeled after the state’s ongoing fight against opioid use disorder, beginning with a campaign to destigmatize mental illness, Gov. Wolf said at a Thursday afternoon news conference.

“We all know a Pennsylvanian who is struggling with something like hopelessness or anxiety or depression,” Wolf said. “Some of these Pennsylvanians may feel comfortable discussing their struggles, but there are others who are fearful about the stigma they might face, and that, unfortunately, is holding them back from seeking the care that they need … I want every Pennsylvanian to feel like they can reach out to someone if they are struggling.”

Wolf said his administration will focus on the Pennsylvania state health care system as a whole to identify barriers to providing mental health services to those in need — including issues related to income, geography and a sufficient number of mental health care facilities that are accessibly distributed throughout the commonwealth.

The insurance department will pursue mental health parity regulations to ensure health insurance companies provide access to affordable mental health care. The department recently conducted reviews of the state’s insurance companies and reported they “are not adequately meeting federal and state requirements for health parity, necessitating stronger state regulations.”

State officials cited a 2017 study by the University of South Carolina that says approximately 1 million adults in Pennsylvania — roughly 8% — struggled with “serious psychological stress” at least once in 2015. Of that population, more than 27% had an unmet need for mental health care, and that population included 42% who did not receive mental health care due to issues related to affordability.

“We are stepping up our efforts to ensure every Pennsylvanian can access mental health care and more agencies can respond to the challenges facing Pennsylvanians struggling with their mental health,” Wolf said. “The act of reaching out for help — or to help — can make a huge difference for someone struggling.”

Wolf declined to specify any budgeting figures or timeline dates until the administration advances its anti-stigmatization outreach campaign.