Mental Health, Substance Use Patients Pay More, Study Says

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 increased access to treatment for mental health conditions and substance use disorders in hospitals, yet patients paid more for these admissions than other types of hospital care, according to a study by the Health Care Cost Institute. According to the study, patients with mental health conditions paid 10% of their hospital bill in 2011 and patients with substance use disorders paid 12% of their hospital bill, while medical or surgical patients paid 4% of the total bill.

• "Mental Health Spending Rises Following Parity Rules, Report Says" (Evans, Modern Healthcare, 2/27).
• "Study: Substance-Abuse Treatment Still Costs Patients More" (Viebeck, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 2/27).