Election Results Could Lead to Expanded Mental Health Services
President-Elect Joe Biden is expected to unwind many of the Trump administration’s healthcare regulations concerning the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. These changes are expected to make mental health care more readily available.
Biden is expected to open healthcare.gov for a special enrollment period and reinstate advertising funds that the Trump administration slashed. The result was reduced enrollment over the past couple of years.
The Biden administration may also roll back Trump rules expanding the length of short-term health plans that are less expensive but are not required to adhere to many Affordable Care Act mandates.
Biden is expected to appoint a new administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services replacing Trump appointee, Seema Verna. President-Elect Biden has vowed to redouble efforts to enforce existing mental health parity laws and expand funding for mental health services.
The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that due to Covid-19:
▪ 53 percent of adults say their mental health is negatively impacted ▪ 36 percent report difficulty sleeping ▪ 32 percent say their diets have become unmanageable to an extent ▪ 12 percent increase in alcohol or substance abuse ▪ 12 percent say they are suffering from worsening or chronic conditions
In the meantime, Georgia is about to become the center of the political universe. A January 5th runoff for two Senate seats will take place. The outcome could determine the extent of healthcare reform under a Biden administration.
Source: Gary R’nel
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