Medicaid

Medicaid is the most important source of funding for the public mental health system and for paying for intensive community mental health services for people with severe disorders. However, adults and children with mental disorders may face challenges in accessing services through the program.

Resources for overcoming some of these obstacles are outlined below:

• New: A Special Needs Trust can enable someone with a disability to benefit from set-aside resources without losing Medicaid and SSI benefits. (4/09)
• Managed Care: The shift to managed behavioral healthcare creates new issues for people with mental illnesses
• Access to High-Cost Mental Health Medications: Pharmacy expenditures constitute one of the fastest-growing healthcare costs. As a result, many health plans are adopting new policies to control use of medications—policies that raise questions about appropriate access to pharmaceuticals in private-sector health plans. This 1999 study by the Bazelon Center responds to expressions of concern by state policymakers, mental health care providers and consumers, and mental health advocates about the need for appropriate and timely access to and coverage of these newer pharmaceuticals, known as atypical antipsychotics, for the Medicaid population.
• Custody Relinquishment: Too often, parents must choose between living in poverty or giving up custody to the state so their child can become eligible for Mediciad and get mental health services.
• Principles for the Delivery of Children's Mental Health Services

Medicaid is a valuable resource to organize and fund systems of community services for children with emotional or behavioral disorders. The Bazelon Center has released several publications on the subject.