Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

jeff47

(26,549 posts)
13. Yep - cars are a hell of a lot better at protecting people than they used to be.
Wed Aug 13, 2014, 11:12 AM
Aug 2014
I can only guess (and I have heard stories) that for more serious issues, even if you have good insurance (which not everybody does), it's almost impossible to get adequate care. It's expensive and there's a whole lot of stigma still attached to seeking help.

Back in the day, "Good" insurance got you one visit a week with someone who didn't have an "MD" or similar advanced degree. Getting on medication usually required that person convincing your primary care doctor to write the prescription, or paying extra to see the psychiatrist who supervised your usual therapist. Often it was necessary to negotiate a deal to try and make it affordable after you exhausted the insurance.

One of the major improvements from the ACA is that is no longer the case. Insurance companies were required to get a lot better in their mental health coverage.

That starts us down the road of mental health care just being health care. But it's going to take quite a while to get to the end of that road. Probably require at least couple generations.
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Suicides Now More Common ...»Reply #13