WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The GAO said it obtained estimates of low-income adults who may have a behavioral health condition from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“Nationwide, estimates using 2008-2013 data indicated that approximately 17 percent of low-income, uninsured adults (3 million) had a behavioral health condition, defined as a serious mental illness, a substance use condition, or both.”
Behavioral health agencies in four selected non-expansion US states offered various treatment options for low-income, uninsured adults, focusing care primarily on those with the most serious behavioral health needs, the GAO noted.
“Research has shown that low-income individuals disproportionately experience behavioral health conditions and may have difficulty accessing care.”
The US Government Accountability Office is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.
