Medicaid has important role in mental health

Do you know how many members of your community have struggled with their mental health? Though many of us don’t think about mental illness often, odds are, you know someone who has experienced it.

Most members of my community have experienced challenges with mental health at some point in their lives and the statistics support this.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than one in five American adults have experienced mental illness. The number may sound high, but so many of us have invisible battles with ourselves daily.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, making it a good time to think more about the ways in which mental illness has impacted those around you, even if it is not something you have experienced directly.

When people think about mental health awareness, one aspect they overlook is often accessibility. Therapy can save lives, but for many people, the cost is unfathomable. That’s just one reason that we need to focus more on Medicaid. If mental health accessibility is not one of the first things you think of when you think of Medicaid, perhaps you should be.

Medicaid, according to the U.S. government, is the single largest payer of mental health services in the country. It plays a tremendous role in allowing access to resources that may be unattainable otherwise. This May, remember to ensure that Medicaid remains fully funded in the name of health equity and mental health accessibility.

Natalie Jones

Chicago