State variations in the out-of-pocket spending burden for outpatient mental health treatment.
We examine the potential of mental health/substance abuse (MH/SA) parity laws to reduce the out-of-pocket spending burden for outpatient treatment at the state level by exploring cross-state variations and their causes, as well as the provisions of MH/SA parity laws. We find modest (yet important) variation in out-of-pocket burden across states overall, but-because prescription medications account for two-thirds of out-of-pocket spending and are generally beyond the scope of recently enacted federal parity laws-evidence suggests that those laws will do little to reduce the observed burden or its variation. Other policy measures, designed to expand and improve health insurance coverage or reduce racial/ethnic disparities, could have a more profound impact.
Zuvekas
Samuel H
SH
Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, in Rockville, Maryland, USA. samuel.zuvekas@ahrq.hhs.gov
Meyerhoefer
Chad D
CD
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D007358:Insurance, Psychiatric / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013221:State Health Plans / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014481:United States