title: Overview of the Affordable Care Act's impact on military and veteran mental health services: nine implications for significant improvements in care.
abstract: On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. Implications of the ACA on mental health care for 9.7 million military active-duty, reserve, and family members and 22.2 million veterans, as well as 1.3 uninsured veterans, is reviewed in light of a major crisis. The authors trace historical roots of the ACA to the World War II generation and efforts to transform the mental health care system by implementing hard-won war trauma lessons. The authors posit 9 principles reflected in the ACA that represent unfulfilled generational war trauma lessons and potential transformation of the military and national mental health care systems.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of War Stress Injury, Recovery, & Social Justice , Antioch University Seattle , Seattle , Washington , USA.
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Figley
mesh_terms: D017047:Cost Sharing; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000458:organization & administration; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008889:Military Personnel; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans
keywords: ADA; access; brain injury; community mental health; community mental health practice; disability; evidence-based practice; health care; health promotion; trauma; veterans