Resources on the ACA, Medicaid and Mental Health Parity

from NDNRC:

Before the holidays, we highlighted a series of state specific fact sheets released by Families USA which look at the effect a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would have on the residents of those states. Another series of state specific fact sheets has been released by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) which also looks at the effect that ACA repeal would have on consumers in individual states as well as examining the amount of federal dollars each state would lose resulting in uncompensated care in that state. Both the Families USA and CBPP fact sheets can be found on each individual state page on the NDNRC website under “State Specific Resources.” To check your state, click on the state on our “State Resource Guide Map” available here.

Also, make sure you check out our NDNRC statement entitled “Preserve the Protections Provided by the Affordable Care Act” where we call on Congress and the new Administration to protect provisions in the ACA which have benefited people with disabilities. To read our news item on this statement, click here. The full statement can be found on our website, where it is also available in a PDF download, by clicking here.

Do you have questions about the Medicaid program? The Kaiser Family Foundation has released a new fact sheet this week which addresses many of the common questions people unfamiliar with Medicaid program may have. To learn more or to download a copy of this very helpful fact sheet, check out our news item here.

When reviewing insurance options, individuals with mental health needs face unique issues as health insurance has not always covered mental health treatment the way it does other treatments. A recent article from Health Affairs addresses some of the issues surrounding mental health parity in an article entitled, “What’s Confusing Us About Mental Health Parity.” To read this blog post, click here. For additional information when you’re assisting consumers with mental health needs, check out our NDNRC fact sheets. We have a topical fact sheet entitled “Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity” which is available here and a population specific fact sheet entitled “What to Know When Assisting a Consumer with Mental Illness” which is available here. All of our fact sheets can be found here.