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The American Healthcare System and Access to Mental Health Services

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The American Healthcare System and Access to Mental Health Services

Abstract
Within the American Healthcare system there are three key components. The key components include access, cost, and quality. Access to healthcare is the ability to obtain healthcare services in a timely manner when one needs it. Cost refers to many things in healthcare. It depends upon the individual, national, or provider’s perspective of costs. Quality is the desired healthcare outcomes of an individual or the healthcare outcomes of the population. Access to mental health services is a major issue in the United States. Children are greatly affected by this and often fall through the cracks in the system. Less than half of all children receive the mental health services they need. The Affordable Care Act initiated by President Obama is setting strides to improve the availability of mental health services within communities. This law requires that all health insurance providers cover mental health services. Congress has also increased funding to improve access of child mental health services. Improvements with access include, but are not limited to, integrating primary care physicians with mental health providers and the expansion of child mental health services. These improvements will educate primary care physicians on the available mental health services in their surrounding communities, allowing them to refer their patients as needed while providing a continuum of care. The expansion of child mental health services will decrease the time it takes for a patient to be seen and the travel time required for a patient to get to the facility.

The American Healthcare System and Access to Mental Health Services
Within the American Healthcare system there are three key components. One of the key components is access. Access is the ability of an individual to obtain

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