<\/a>Hillary Clinton has just released a plan would treat mental health care with the same priority as physical health care. It\u2019s a well-thought-out, comprehensive policy that deserves attention and support. And, according to some observers, it actually has a chance of becoming a reality. Unfortunately, the announcement of the plan came in the midst of the media clamor over Donald Trump\u2019s bogus trip to Mexico and his hate-fueled immigration speech.<\/p>\n

Clinton\u2019s plan calls for some very important changes to the way mental health care is currently addressed in the American healthcare system, where it has long been a neglected stepchild.<\/p>\n

In broad terms, according to the Clinton website<\/a>, the plan would<\/p>\n

Promote\u00a0early diagnosis and intervention<\/strong>, including launching a\u00a0national initiative for suicide prevention.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Integrate our nation\u2019s mental and physical health care systems\u00a0<\/strong>so that health care delivery focuses on the \u201cwhole person,\u201d and significantly enhance\u00a0community-based treatment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Improve criminal justice outcomes by\u00a0training law enforcement officers<\/strong>\u00a0in crisis intervention, and\u00a0prioritizing treatment over jail <\/strong>for non-violent, low-level offenders.<\/p>\n

Enforce\u00a0mental health parity\u00a0<\/strong>to the full extent of the law.<\/p>\n

Improve\u00a0access to housing and job opportunities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Invest in\u00a0brain and behavioral research\u00a0<\/strong>and developing safe and effective treatments.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

More specifically, the big-ticket item in Clinton’s plan is, according to the Washington Post,<\/p>\n

…$5\u00a0billion for community health centers providing substance abuse and mental-health treatment as well as traditional medical care\u2026To address a shortage of mental-health professionals, meanwhile, she would encourage telemedicine, among other things. Clinton also proposed pumping up the budget for basic scientific research, some of which would be diverted into studying the brain<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that these priorities merit attention. According to a government study, about 1 in 5 adults \u2014\u00a0or 43.6 million people \u2014\u00a0had a mental illness in 2014, with nearly 10 million of those experiencing a serious condition, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The same study said that 2.8 million adolescents had a major depressive episode during the past year.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, conventional payment systems have shortchanged mental-health care. While the Affordable Care Act [Obamacare] made some significant changes in requirements for mental health coverage,\u00a0<\/a> there is much room for improvement. The good news, for example is that,since 2014, health insurance companies offering individual and small-group plans can no longer deny enrollment or charge higher premiums to people with medical histories of behavioral\/mental health disorders. Also under the ACA, individual and small–group plans\u00a0 are required to cover ten essential health benefits<\/a> with no annual or lifetime dollar limits<\/a>. Mental health and addiction treatment are among the essential health benefits. Nor can these plans offer mental-health benefits that are less favorable than the benefits for medical\/surgical care.<\/p>\n

But the National Alliance on Mental Illness published a report<\/a> in 2015 detailing problems with access to behavioral health providers, and limited coverage for some brand-name drugs, particularly anti-psychotics, says healthinsurance.org.<\/a> .The report also notes that health insurance companies are still more than twice as likely to deny authorization for mental health care, compared with authorization for general medical care.<\/p>\n

Clinton\u2019s plan, says the Washington Post, \u201cemphasizes using the federal government\u2019s role as a major payer in the health industry to encourage the integration of mental-health care into medical practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for practicality, Clinton\u2019s plan is not just another pie-in-the-sky idea with no hope of implementation. The Washington Post notes that\u2026<\/p>\n

Congress has over the past several years put serious effort into reforming the federal government\u2019s mental-health efforts, producing \u2014 but not yet passing \u2014 a slew of bills with bipartisan backing. This is one of the few issues on which lawmakers may be able to agree, even in a severely divided Washington, over the coming months. The House, in fact, has already passed a bill<\/a>. Ideally, the Senate would pass its own reform before next year. But, if lawmakers fail to send a bill to President Obama \u2014 always a high likelihood given Congress\u2019s slow pace \u2014 the next president should enter the policy debate, pressing for lawmakers to finally pass something.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As far as I can tell, there\u2019s no parallel proposal from the Republican nominee, whose candidacy has been, essentially, a policy-free zone [until recently, when he doubled-down on an outrageously hateful, xenophobic immigration \u201cplan.\u201d]<\/p>\n

For those of us seeking a President who has actual policy ideas designed to help people, and who is willing to do the work necessary to bring them to life, Hillary Clinton\u2019s mental healthcare plan is very reassuring. I\u2019m voting for the policy wonk.<\/p>\n

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