Medicare, Medicaid Beset by Lack of Mental Health Providers

Millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid are struggling to access mental health care due to a shortage of providers willing to participate in the health programs, a federal watchdog says.

A review by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General examined provider availability in 20 counties across 10 states. It found there were fewer than 5 mental health providers per 1,000 enrollees actively seeing Medicare and Medicaid patients in these areas.

Across the states surveyed—Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Virginia—auditors found 2.9 active behavioral health providers per 1,000 ...