Dalton's latest tweet indicates that WellnessRx is now Medicaid approved. So, some important facts to remember:
Medicaid is the largest health care program in the United States and has a great impact on a broad range of Americans.
Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) cover 70 million people, almost half of the births in the U.S. and approximately 40 percent of our nation’s children. If how children and their families fare in our society influence the country’s future, then Medicaid is critically important to the well-being of America.
Not only is Medicaid the country’s largest single source of health care coverage, but it is also a principal provider of many essential services. There is a broad recognition that providing meaningful mental health care not only helps people lead productive lives, but impacts the daily functionality and safety of society. Medicaid is critically important to achieving that goal, as it is the largest provider for mental health care, paying for 26 percent of all behavioral health spending.
Also worth noting is the interface between mental health and incarceration. Nearly 50 percent of incarcerated individuals have mental illness. Our jails have become mental health institutions by default. One study noted that incarceration costs five times that of drug treatment. The cost of incarceration in New York City is more than 10 times the cost of a year of Medicaid coverage for a person with a behavioral health diagnosis.
Despite the excess differential cost of incarceration, being in jail has little to no therapeutic effect on mental illness and likely worsens it. If we want to lower our rate of incarceration and the concomitant costs of jails and prisons while improving outcomes, Medicaid’s coverage of mental health services will need to play an increasingly central role.
The point of all this is that being Medicaid approved is a big deal. Hopefully, our share price will now start to reflect this new reality. Thank you Doctor Dalton.
Medicaid is the largest health care program in the United States and has a great impact on a broad range of Americans.
Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) cover 70 million people, almost half of the births in the U.S. and approximately 40 percent of our nation’s children. If how children and their families fare in our society influence the country’s future, then Medicaid is critically important to the well-being of America.
Not only is Medicaid the country’s largest single source of health care coverage, but it is also a principal provider of many essential services. There is a broad recognition that providing meaningful mental health care not only helps people lead productive lives, but impacts the daily functionality and safety of society. Medicaid is critically important to achieving that goal, as it is the largest provider for mental health care, paying for 26 percent of all behavioral health spending.
Also worth noting is the interface between mental health and incarceration. Nearly 50 percent of incarcerated individuals have mental illness. Our jails have become mental health institutions by default. One study noted that incarceration costs five times that of drug treatment. The cost of incarceration in New York City is more than 10 times the cost of a year of Medicaid coverage for a person with a behavioral health diagnosis.
Despite the excess differential cost of incarceration, being in jail has little to no therapeutic effect on mental illness and likely worsens it. If we want to lower our rate of incarceration and the concomitant costs of jails and prisons while improving outcomes, Medicaid’s coverage of mental health services will need to play an increasingly central role.
The point of all this is that being Medicaid approved is a big deal. Hopefully, our share price will now start to reflect this new reality. Thank you Doctor Dalton.
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