America's Health Insurance Plans: 3 in 4 Americans With Health Insurance Coverage Say They Found It Easy to Get Mental Health Care

WASHINGTON, June 8 (TNSres) -- America's Health Insurance Plans issued the following news release:

Everyone deserves access to mental health support that is effective and affordable. With more Americans than ever seeking help for mental health concerns, AHIP conducted a nationwide survey to understand people's experience accessing care, whether their treatment was covered by insurance, and if insured patients were satisfied with the results. The findings reveal that nearly all respondents who sought mental health care for themselves or someone within their household over the past 2 years received treatment, and 3 in 4 insured Americans (73%) found it easy to get the care they needed. More than two-thirds of respondents were able to find an appointment with a provider in less than a month. In addition, 9 in 10 reported being satisfied with the mental health support they received, including half who say they were very satisfied.

"Mental health affects everyone, and the COVID-19 pandemic made that more true, impacting all of us in different ways," said Matt Eyles, AHIP President and CEO. "We know there are challenges, particularly as more people seek support than ever before. Health insurance providers are working hard on a variety of solutions - including expanding access to telehealth appointments, integrating mental health into primary care visits, and creating innovative programs to increase the number of mental health care practitioners available. We will continue to come together with care professionals, policymakers, and other health care leaders to ensure Americans have affordable access to the high-quality mental health support they deserve."

Key findings include:

* 3 in 4 insured Americans (73%) said they found it easy to get the mental health support they needed for themselves or those in their households. Further, 32% said that finding care was "very easy," with only 6% reporting that finding care was "very difficult."

* 9 in 10 (91%) reported they are satisfied with the mental health support they received, with half (49%) saying they were very satisfied.

* 4 in 10 insured Americans (38%) were able to find a mental health professional and start getting support within a week or two, while another 3 in 10 (29%) were able to start getting help within a month. 1 in 10 (11%) needed to wait 6 months or more, while 4% sought care but never received it.

* 6 in 10 insured Americans (60%) reported that their mental health support was fully covered by insurance, while another 3 in 10 (33%) reported that their mental health support was partially covered by insurance. Only 3% reported their care was not covered.

* Individual counseling or therapy in a health care professional's office was the most frequently used service (56%), with counseling or therapy through telehealth second (38%)

The survey also found that Americans believe that the responsibility to provide access to mental health support is a collective one - one that includes health insurance providers, doctors and mental health care practitioners, the federal government, state and local governments, drug manufacturers, and employers.

AHIP completed this national, online survey of 500 insured Americans who have sought professional mental health care support, care, or treatment for themselves or for someone within their household over the last 2 years. The survey was facilitated by Seven Letter Insight from May 12 to May 23, 2022, and has a margin of error of +/-4.4% with a 95% confidence interval.

Respondents were covered through some form of health insurance - employer provided coverage, individual market coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, or coverage through Veterans Affairs, with demographics closely tracking U.S. Census data.

Learn more (https://www.ahip.org/issues/behavioral-health) about how health insurance providers are working to increase access to mental health support.

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Original text here: https://www.ahip.org/news/press-releases/new-poll-3-in-4-americans-with-health-insurance-coverage-say-they-found-it-easy-to-get-mental-health-care

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REPORT: https://www.ahip.org/documents/AHIP-Mental-Health-Access-Survey-June-2022.pdf