There is a huge problem with the American mental health care system that is largely unseen until something drastic occurs, such as killings or suicides. However, identifying and jailing the individual that conducts a mass shooting does not solve the larger problem. The health issue stems from health insurance companies that do not prioritize the well being of their customers over making a profit. They reduce their own budget when they deny payment for a person to stay in the hospital, under care, for longer than six weeks when admitted for a mental health problem. The company also could deny seriously ill people from buying insurance because they know that the individual will need many medical visits. However, in doing this, the insurance
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This also means that half of the killings could have and should have been prevent through mental health care by certified specialist. One of the major mental illnesses that could lead to a damaging path if not given the right care is schizophrenia. Although most schizophrenics are not violent, the disorder constitutes the majority of mass murders done by a mentally ill individual. Additionally, most people that suffer from this schizophrenia do not get treatment, which would come in the form of therapy and various medications. This is due to the difficulty of finding an affordable place for mentally ill people to stay long term because institutional asylums have been long shut down because they were deemed inhumane. Ideally, the asylum residents would move into community clinics to continue care but lack of funding saw that the clinics were never made. This causes numerous mentally ill people to be homeless until they are put in jail, the new asylum, for stealing or trespassing. Currently the majority of prisoners have some case of mental disability (Untreated Mental …show more content…
One such reform is the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) that guarantee fairness in a health plan’s coverage of medical or surgical aspects, regardless of mental health record or substance use disorder (Parity Implement Coalition). With the help of pro-health government officials, the US is putting more focus and funding into mental health programs. When in office, President Obama set a $4 trillion budget proposal for 2016 and effectively used this money to try to reverse the damage done to community health through previous budget cuts. He put money toward research of mental health to work towards more efficient medical technology and medicine that work better with the biology of humans. Obama also funded mental health services that supported mentally ill family members, homeless, veterans, and those with addictions. He also funded the construction of housing for low-income families that require long-term care. Lastly, Obama worked to improve Medicare and Medicaid to allow for more psychiatric care (President Obama’s 2016 Budget). Overall, America still has a fundamental issue with the health care system for mentally ill individuals but it is slowly changing its policies and hopefully will continue to
This also means that half of the killings could have and should have been prevent through mental health care by certified specialist. One of the major mental illnesses that could lead to a damaging path if not given the right care is schizophrenia. Although most schizophrenics are not violent, the disorder constitutes the majority of mass murders done by a mentally ill individual. Additionally, most people that suffer from this schizophrenia do not get treatment, which would come in the form of therapy and various medications. This is due to the difficulty of finding an affordable place for mentally ill people to stay long term because institutional asylums have been long shut down because they were deemed inhumane. Ideally, the asylum residents would move into community clinics to continue care but lack of funding saw that the clinics were never made. This causes numerous mentally ill people to be homeless until they are put in jail, the new asylum, for stealing or trespassing. Currently the majority of prisoners have some case of mental disability (Untreated Mental …show more content…
One such reform is the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) that guarantee fairness in a health plan’s coverage of medical or surgical aspects, regardless of mental health record or substance use disorder (Parity Implement Coalition). With the help of pro-health government officials, the US is putting more focus and funding into mental health programs. When in office, President Obama set a $4 trillion budget proposal for 2016 and effectively used this money to try to reverse the damage done to community health through previous budget cuts. He put money toward research of mental health to work towards more efficient medical technology and medicine that work better with the biology of humans. Obama also funded mental health services that supported mentally ill family members, homeless, veterans, and those with addictions. He also funded the construction of housing for low-income families that require long-term care. Lastly, Obama worked to improve Medicare and Medicaid to allow for more psychiatric care (President Obama’s 2016 Budget). Overall, America still has a fundamental issue with the health care system for mentally ill individuals but it is slowly changing its policies and hopefully will continue to