In September, the federal government introduced a new rule to help Americans with private health insurance access treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. This rule strengthens the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008. A recent West Health-Gallup poll shows that many Americans support this federal law.
The survey found that a majority of U.S. adults from both major political parties, as well as independents, back the law requiring insurance companies to provide equal coverage for mental health and substance use disorder care compared to physical healthcare. However, many Americans doubt that insurance companies will comply.
The West Health-Gallup Healthcare Survey, conducted from September 9-16, included 3,660 U.S. adults.
Broad Support Across Political Lines
Nearly 80% of Americans support the parity law. This includes 95% of Democrats, 79% of independents, and 67% of Republicans. Women are more likely to support the law than men, with 83% of women and 74% of men in favor. Among Democrats, support is nearly unanimous, with 95% of women and 94% of men backing it. However, there are noticeable gaps among independents (87% of women vs. 73% of men) and Republicans (76% of women vs. 58% of men).
Skepticism About Compliance
The strengthening of MHPAEA comes after the U.S. Department of Labor found that many insurance companies limited mental health and substance use disorder treatments more than general medical care. Half of Americans express little to no trust in insurance companies to comply with the law. In contrast, 43% feel they will comply, while 7% are unsure. Among those who distrust insurance companies, 48% are Republicans, 55% are independents, and 47% are Democrats.
Concerns About Access to Mental Healthcare
Even with the MHPAEA in place, many Americans believe that access to affordable mental healthcare needs to improve. More than 70% feel the government is not doing enough to ensure this access. A large majority of Democrats (87%) and independents (73%) share this view, while 57% of Republicans agree.
Women generally express more dissatisfaction than men. Among Democrats, 86% of women and 89% of men say the government is not doing enough. In contrast, Republican and independent women (65% and 82%) are more likely than their male counterparts (48% and 67%) to express the same concern.
Looking ahead, six in ten Americans believe it is unlikely that access to affordable mental healthcare will improve in the next five years. Only 8% think it is very likely to improve. Some groups, including women, Black adults, Hispanic adults, and Democrats, are slightly more optimistic.
Conclusion
Access to affordable mental health treatment is a crucial issue in the ongoing healthcare policy debate in the U.S. Previous polling shows that many Americans feel mental healthcare quality is lower than that for physical health issues. There is widespread agreement on the need for government action to improve access and enforce the parity law.
While the new rules aim to reduce barriers to mental health and substance use disorder care, the public continues to call for more action to ensure compliance and improve healthcare access.
Related topics:
- Rapid City Area Schools Focus on Students’ Mental Health and Obtain $3.4 Million Grant
- Mammograms Now Screening for Heart Disease Risk
- One Death Linked to Multistate E. coli Outbreak from McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, CDC Reports
