About 406,000 Texans with mental illness and substance abuse disorders could have health insurance if the state expanded Medicaid, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Monday.
Texas is one of 20 states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage, opting out of many provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
“Today’s report shows that Medicaid expansion is an important step Texas can take to address behavioral health needs, including serious mental illness and opioid and other substance use disorders,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell.
Monday’s report was based on 2014 data, the latest figures available. It also said that if Texas expanded Medicaid, an estimated 101,000 fewer individuals would experience symptoms of depression because research shows that low-income adults with serious mental illness are significantly more likely to receive treatment if are covered by Medicaid.
[For more of this story, written by Julie Chang, go to http://www.mystatesman.com/new...mentally-ill-/nqtPF/]
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