Numerous states have announced cuts to mental health programs, many of which are funded by Medicaid. Maine is asking for a $25 enrollment fee, Florida froze rates to nursing homes, and California reduced its reimbursement rate for a 15-minute physician visit to $21.60, reports the Christian Science Monitor.
Earlier this week New York cut local assistance by six percent, a blow to funding which has been the "lifeblood for many individuals with psychiatric disabilities in the community," said the Mental Health Association's director Glenn Liebman.
In Illinois, the Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is slated to lose more than 20 percent of its funding, which will drop 98,000 from treatment. Since losing $4 million on Aug. 1, one Chicago program has turned away 200 uninsured people, reports the Chicago Tribune.
"When the economy weakens, state and local revenues decline but the need for public programs increases, as residents lose jobs, income, and health insurance," writes the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
