ARLINGTON, Va. — A cost analysis of states’ decisions to opt out of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act shows these states will receive less revenue and have a reduced capacity to serve people with mental illness. If all 50 states expanded Medicaid by 2020, an additional 70,500 behavioral health services would be provided that year. The study is published online today in Psychiatric Services in Advance.
The study focused on community health centers, a key source of medical and behavioral health services in underserved communities because they serve all patients regardless of the ability to pay. Health centers are not required to provide behavioral health services, making these services vulnerable to cuts if there is not enough...
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