Medicaid Mental Health Testimony for Senate Health & Human Services 9.18.24
Many private health insurance plans offer greater mental health coverage than Medicaid. Currently, Medicaid lacks coverage for many of the services that would avoid crisis and hospitalization, particularly for children and teens. Instead, coverage is limited to either talk therapy and psychiatric medications or intensive inpatient hospital care. To learn about why and how we should expand Medicaid’s mental health coverage, click here.
Recommendations:
• Create coverage for “step-down” services like intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs
• Cover evidence-based and cost-effective services for at-risk youth
• Add comprehensive crisis intervention services as Medicaid benefits
• Provide psychiatric residential treatment for youth
• Expand coverage for adult psychiatric hospital stays
