Mental health budget cuts are insane
Illinois TimesJun 09, 2017
Their plan wouldn't necessarily reduce government spending. At best, it would just shift the burden from federal taxpayers to state taxpayers. In fact, such cuts could increase overall government spending. That's because
Roughly one in five American adults will suffer from a mental health condition this year. Half of Americans struggle with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia at some point in their lifetimes.
Mental health conditions are the most expensive medical conditions in the country. In 2013,
Patients are all too familiar with this financial burden. Health care costs for the average
It's no surprise, then, that mental health conditions are also a serious drain on state health care systems. States can expect to spend nearly
In addition to increasing medical costs, mental health conditions also drain money from the economy.
Consider the workplace. Due to decreased performance, absenteeism and other factors associated with mental health conditions, mental illnesses cost employers billions each year.
Or consider the prison system. Unfortunately, more than eight of every ten inmates don't have access to metal health services and support. Without proper treatment, inmates are put at a severe disadvantage when they're released. Many succumb to homelessness. Others relapse into criminal behavior and wind up back in prison.
Lost productivity, additional jail time, and other societal costs associated with mental illness will drain an additional
But that doesn't have to be the case. Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and other mental health disorders are treatable diseases. With sensible policy solutions that prioritize access to mental health services, states could realize enormous savings ? and cultivate healthier populations.
For example, by boosting inmate access to effective mental health services and innovative treatments, states could drastically reduce the number of mentally ill inmates who received extended or recurring jail sentences. That adds up to nearly
The same is true for the workplace. Increasing access to necessary services and detecting mental health issues early on would slash cases of absenteeism and help employees become more productive. Businesses could save millions of dollars each year.
Adopting these new policies could save states upwards of
The solution to rising health care costs is simple: our government saves money when we have a happier and healthier population. Any lawmaker ? or businessman president ? would be foolish to cut mental health services that yield tremendous savings.