Unlike most develped countries, the United States does not have universal health care. A new study by NAMI (The National Alliance on Mental Illness) has found that the cost for treating depression is three times higher in U.S. citizens with limited access to treatment. The annual “out-of-pocket costs” for medication, psychotherapy and other treatment costs averaged $4,312 for those with restricted access versus $1,496 for those with good health insurance.

The irony is that those with limited access to treatment are often those with lower incomes. In effect lower income people pay more for their depression treatment. The study also found that:

• People with depression are not being fully diagnosed
• Only a small minority of people with depression are receiving dual therapy (prescription medication and talk therapy)
• The shortage of mental health care professionals is impacting care
• People with depression who live in states with no mental health parity law may have more limited access to treatment
• Self-reported depression among minority groups may be on the rise

Together these findings suggest that changes are needed in health care coverage for Americans. At the very least mental disorders need to be covered at the same level as physical disorders in health insurance plans. The study is also a persuasive argument for universal health coverage.

For the purposes of this study, limited access was defined as “either having no health insurance, being in a health savings account-qualified health plan where costs are not reimbursed until a high minimum deductible is met (at least $1,050 for individuals and at least $2,100 for a family), being enrolled in a pharmacy benefit plan that provides no coverage for certain brand-name pharmaceutical agents (self-reported data), or being enrolled in a health plan which, respondents claim, either provides no coverage for physician visits, or no coverage for prescription medication. ”

Read more about the study at NAMI.org

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