More than one-half of individuals with a mental illness do not receive any mental health services.¹ Among those who perceive an unmet need for mental health services, financial concerns represent important barriers to care.¹ The implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will potentially reduce cost-related barriers to mental health treatment by improving the level of coverage for mental health services among those with health insurance and by expanding insurance coverage to previously uninsured populations.

In JAMA Psychiatry, Bishop et al² report results from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey showing low acceptance rates for noncapitated insurance by psychiatrists. Bishop et al found that in 2009-2010, a lower percentage of office-based psychiatrists accepted private health insurance (55.3%) compared with other office-based specialist physicians (88.7%). Moreover, the rate of participation in health insurance networks has declined faster among psychiatrists in recent years than among other specialists.