NYAPRS Note: Preliminary estimates from the National Health Interview Survey found that while more Americans with serious psychological distress have acquired health insurance over the past few years, one in 4 forego medical treatment because of cost. This is down from a finding of one in 3 in 2012, possibly due to ACA-related increase healthcare coverage.
Key highlights of the report:
- Among adults aged 18–64 with serious psychological distress, the percentage who were uninsured decreased from 28.1% in 2012 to 19.5% in the first 9 months of 2015. Adults without serious psychological distress saw a
- decrease in the percentage of uninsured from 20.3% in 2012 to 12.3% in the first 9 months of 2015.
- Although more adults with serious psychological distress have public rather than private coverage, the percentage with public coverage has remained relatively stable from 2012 through the first 9 months of 2015 while the
- percentage with private coverage has increased over the same time period.
- The percentage of adults with serious psychological distress who have seen a mental health care professional in the past 12 months has declined from 2012 to the first 9 months of 2015.
- In the first 9 months of 2015, 24.4% of adults with serious psychological distress and 6.1% of those without serious psychological distress had not received needed medical care due to cost.
- The percentage of adults with serious psychological distress who needed mental health care but could not afford it declined from 2012 to the first 9 months of 2015.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/er_spd_access_2015_f_auer.pdf