BY GARRY CARNEAL, JD, MA, JACK SHOEMAKER, MS, AND TOM WILSON, PhD
Treating diseases of the brain is as important as treating any physical condition. Yet, U.S. health insurers have earned the dubious reputation of not covering behavioral health conditions (“BH,” aka mental health and substance use disorders) adequately when compared to physical health conditions (“PH,” aka medical/surgical care). From a population health perspective, disease states such as depression, anxiety, addiction and other mental health conditions often have been undertreated, subsequently leading to poor clinical outcomes.