KEY FINDINGS
1. By many measures, access to behavioral healthcare services is highly variable across the United States, and even among healthcare coverage types within each state. As a result, the accessibility of care can vary widely for individuals living in different areas of the country, that have different healthcare coverage types, that have different needs, or that have different levels of personal resources. Measures of the prevalence of behavioral health conditions
2. Over 24% of individuals across three major healthcare coverage types (commercial, Medicare Fee-for-Service [FFS], and Medicaid) had diagnoses for at least one behavioral health condition in 2021. The prevalence of diagnosed behavioral health conditions was highest in Rhode Island (32%) and lowest in Texas (15%). Measures of behavioral health treatment patterns
3. Only 33% of individuals diagnosed with a behavioral health condition received treatment from a behavioral health specialist within the year in 2021. Those with Medicaid coverage had the highest rates of behavioral health specialist care (44%) and those with Medicare FFS coverage had the lowest (15.7%). While some individuals receive appropriate treatment through primary care or other types of providers, this high percentage of individuals diagnosed with behavioral health conditions not receiving treatment from a behavioral health specialist indicates a significant gap in care.
4. Across the studied healthcare coverage types, approximately 8% of emergency department (ED) visits nationwide included a principal diagnosis of a behavioral health condition in 2021. Medicaid had the highest rate of ED visits with a behavioral health diagnosis (12.9%) compared with Medicare FFS (7.3%) and commercial (6.9%). ED visits are often used as a measure of behavioral healthcare access and quality and can indicate under-managed care
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