Private insurance policies cover treatment for a relatively small number of mental disorders or require physicians to diagnose a very serious mental disorder before insurance will help defray treatment costs. Many middle-class families fall in the cracks between private insurance, Medicaid, and partnership programs like the Children's Health Insurance Program, and suffer in quiet and expensive despair. The Mental Health Association in Texas wants Texas lawmakers to require insurers to more fully cover the costs of treating mental illnesses in children. Connecticut mandates expanded coverage and several states including Colorado, Delaware and New Jersey are considering similar action. Rep. David Farabee, D-Wichita Falls, is expected to propose an expanded coverage measure in Texas this session.
Mental disorders unfold over a lifetime and are often undetected during a child's early development.
Left untreated, mental disorders spill over into increases in school dropouts, youth crime and unproductive adults with hefty human and financial costs. The surgeon general's report underscores the need for early intervention and for better coordination of mental health services for families with children with mental health disorders. Along with their discussions of the nation's uninsured children, the Congress and the Texas Legislature need to make children's mental health a serious public policy priority.