- Piedmont Rising
Report: Access to Mental Health Care At Risk, Need for Services Increase During Public Health Crisis
NEW REPORT: Access to Mental Health Care At Risk, As Need for Services Increase During Public Health Crisis
As the coronavirus pandemic increases the need for mental health services in North Carolina, protecting the Affordable Care Act and expanding Medicaid are more crucial than ever before
Meanwhile, Senators Tillis & Burr fail to stand up against a lawsuit that threatens health care law
Raleigh, N.C. – As the coronavirus continues to increase anxiety, fear, isolation, and grief, leading to declining mental health, a new report released by Piedmont Rising highlights the devastating impacts ongoing threats to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may have on access to mental health services and demonstrates the unprecedented need for robust advocacy efforts calling on lawmakers to fight to protect access to health care.
Key Highlights
Nearly 1.5 million adults in North Carolina are living with some form of mental illness, but many of these individuals cannot afford treatment.
More than half a million North Carolinians – 552,000 – gained access to mental health care as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As such, the ACA, a critical step toward providing mental health care services, must be protected.
Medicaid expansion in North Carolina would greatly increase access to mental health services for North Carolinians and reduce out-of-pocket costs.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on family unemployment, social inequities, and access to health care, including mental health services, demonstrates the need for robust advocacy efforts calling on lawmakers to fight to protect access to mental health care.
“As the pandemic takes its toll on the physical health of hundreds of thousands of Americans, Senators Tillis and Burr need to get back to work this week and prioritize mental health during this unprecedented public health crisis,” said Piedmont Rising Executive Director Casey Wilkinson. Failure to do so will come at a tremendous human and financial cost."
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