Key Findings from the 2024 State of Mental Health in America

I just got my hands on the 2024 report from Mental Health America , a nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention.

There's a lot more good information in the 2024 State of Mental Health in America Report. The most actionable deduction I made from this report is that 1 in 4 adults with frequent mental distress could not see a doctor due to cost, coupled with 10% of adults have private insurance that does not cover mental health. I decided to research this for myself. I called the number on my insurance card to check if I have mental health coverage. I assumed that I did not have mental health coverage, but a benefits consultant urged me to ask and I did. They said yes, I'm covered and gave me another number to call; they could not transfer me.

The mental health number answered by a different name, so mental note -- my health care provider outsources mental health. Okay. Good. They are the experts. Nice. They explained my mental health coverage had a 5% co-insurance. I said, "Great. Now can you explain what that means?" Co-insurance means you pay 5% and your health care provider pays 95%. Great!! How can I make an appointment?

I gave them the name of my preferred mental health provider and they told me she was out of network, so the 5% co-insurance would not cover her. Big pause. It took me a long time to find someone I wanted to work with. I asked how they would match me with an in-network provider and they said they could give me a number to call....

When I mentioned that it sounded like I have to invest a lot of time to find the right therapist, they told me the intake process asks all kinds of questions to get me to the right provider. THEN they told me that my provider can apply for a one time exception to be covered in-network. Eureka! I sure wish someone had said that sooner. I asked for instructions, then I followed up with the in-network.

That lady was super patient, super nice. She told me they would email several recommendations by the end of the day, which they did. She even called to say, "Check your email!" Imagine my fatigue when I opened that to find three names with no description of their practice, their specialty, their years in license or qualifications.

I invested over an hour on three phone calls trying to find out if my health plan covered mental health and still don't have an appointment yet.

This does not cover the time I invested to download the free mental health app suggested in my patient portal. It took three attempts at making a password before I got in and then it offered me three plans to sign up for -- no free access. What? I surrendered that process after all the time I'd spent on the phone. I was not about to call back and ask why the free app wasn't free. All that to say, by the time I was done trying to get mental health assistance I felt like I needed a lobotomy. It was so complicated! Coincidentally, Colorado was ranked in the top 10 states with the greatest prevalence of mental illness.

I promise to report back when I get the results of that application for exception for my preferred provider to be considered in-network, but here's my color comment on this finding: adults who have presenting needs for mental health assistance don't have an hour or two during the workday (these numbers are closed on evenings and weekends) to even take advantage of the coverage already available to them. What can we do to make this process easier? Or to make some sort of support available, even if just from a triage perspective? That's what we're trying to do with the Mental Health at Work Community Forum. If this issue weighs on you, join us September 12.