Ravi Coutinho bought a health insurance plan thinking it would give him access to mental health providers. But even after 21 phone calls and multiple hospitalizations, no one could find him a therapist.
It can be really hard to get mental health care in the U.S. Even if you find a therapist in network, your insurer can refuse to cover the prescribed treatment. Here are the laws protecting patients.
Getting mental health care covered by insurance can be really tough. Reporters spoke to hundreds of therapists who left their insurance networks to find out why.
The Carter Center hosted its inaugural Mental Health Parity Day by the Georgia State Capitol. Mental health stakeholders, legislators, and leadership from several state agencies gathered to discuss how to advance implementation of the bipartisan Mental Health Parity Act passed in April 2022.
The former first lady fought with persistence to put care for mental and physical health on equal footing and to eliminate discrimination toward people with mental illnesses.
Despite limited state funding, sheriffs in central Georgia are planning a multi-county co-response program, the first of its kind in the region, to address what they call a crisis-level need.
President Biden unveiled a set of proposed new rules for health insurance companies designed to push the industry to cover treatment for mental health problems on par with how it covers medical care.
In 2022, Georgia passed the Mental Health Parity Act. It authorizes studies of how the state could and should pay for more of this critical mental care.
Despite laws that say mental health care should be paid for on a par with other medical care, health insurance stopped covering the care a suicidal teen needed before she was stable.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: In their last session, Georgia legislators passed a bipartisan bill to improve access to mental health services. This past week saw further progress with the launch of the 988 phone line, an emergency mental health crisis line, part of a new national network.
Mental health advocates applaud the proposals, which they say offer much-needed federal leadership on a growing national crisis. But they worry about getting sustainable funding for the efforts.
Lawmakers in Georgia are expected to introduce an omnibus mental health bill at the steps of the Capitol at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. House Speaker David Ralston will announce the bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Todd Jones and Democratic Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver.
