Health insurance deal may have an impact on mental health care

September 30, 2015September 29, 2015 Marc

American Psychiatric Association raises concerns about Anthem deal The American Psychiatric Association has warned government regulators that proposed health insurance mergers could have a major, negative impact on the availability of mental health care services. Anthem Inc. is looking to acquire Cigna Corp. through a $47 billion deal. The deal would make Anthem the largest health insurance provider in the United States, but the company also has plans to acquire Humana Inc., which would also make it the largest provider of Medicare plans in the country. Organizations warn regulators of…

Health insurance not accepted by half of U.S. psychiatrists

January 22, 2014January 20, 2014 Julie Campbell

A new study has shown that these medical professionals will not be paid through a coverage plan. Recently, as the health care reform truly takes hold across the country, there has been a growing focus on mental health and integrating it with physical care, which has revealed that about half of all psychiatrists in the country will not accept health insurance. True integration of mental and physical wellness and care has been proving to be an increasingly difficult process. Physician Tara Bishop, who is also a researcher at Weill Cornell…

A struggle over Iowa mental health care system reform

April 20, 2011 Nordstrom

In Iowa, the burden of mental health care is often shouldered by individual counties. As such, each county is tasked with handling these issues as they see fit. Iowa is home to 99 different counties, meaning that the definition of coverage can be radically different from county to county. Who can receive care, and the type of care they are eligible for, is subject to the whims of the local budget. This system has existed for several years, but now state legislators are considering making changes. Many citizens regard the…