HHS chief touts legacy of ObamaCare on mental health

The head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Thursday that the nation is coming closer to eliminating the “shame and secrecy” around mental illnesses, in part because of ObamaCare.

HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said new coverage rules under ObamaCare are now ensuring that about 60 million people are getting behavioral healthcare — “many for the first time in their lives.”

She also highlighted the law’s requirement for insurers to offer preventive services, like screenings for alcohol abuse and depression, “all without copays or out-of-pocket fees.”

Those benefits are particularly important for young people, Burwell said in her speech to mark Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day.

“When we think about mental illnesses, we often focus on getting adults the help they need,” Burwell said. “But many conditions surface long before those affected reach adulthood.”

She warned that parents and teachers often don’t recognize signs of mental illness or substance use in young people, and said young people are often “too afraid” to speak up or ask for help.

Half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14 and three-quarters begin by age 24, she said.

As the number of people with mental illnesses continues to swell, the Obama administration has amplified its focus on the issue. HHS has also doubled down on mental health programs under growing pressure from national tragedies like the Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn., shootings.

The costs of mental health services in the U.S. have exploded in recent years, with per capita spending now reaching about $120.56 per person nationally.

Still, total state spending on mental health services has fallen $4.34 billion between 2009 and 2012, according to a report by Pew Trusts.