Reviewing Your Mental Healthcare Services

By Jenny Haykin, MA, CRC

Integrated Leaves & Accommodations Program Manager
Puget Sound Energy

When reviewing company-offered health benefits, a close look at the mental health services is warranted. Despite the fact that nearly one in five Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year,¹ the related services through company-offered medical plans are typically difficult to access in a timely manner, may not be of high quality, and may not be legally compliant, as shown by the issues below:

• The shortage of care providers is the primary reason for difficult access. A recent study found 27% of metropolitan counties and 65% of non-metropolitan counties lack a psychiatrist.²
• Barriers to quality mental health care include: a lack of standardized information technology-based data sources, limited scientific evidence for mental health quality measures, lack of provider training and support, and cultural barriers to integrating mental health care within general health environments.³
• Full compliance with the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act continues to be an issue, according to studies, lawsuits, and enforcement statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor.

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