Mental Health

Access and coverage
  • Mental Health Parity at a Crossroads

    More than 25 years after the first federal mental health parity protections were put in place, adequate coverage for behavioral health care remains elusive. This brief explains the federal behavioral health parity requirements and sets out key policy issues.
  • Section 1115 Waiver Watch: Contingency Management

    Of the 800,000 Medicaid enrollees aged 12 to 64 with a diagnosed stimulant use disorder in 2019, about 20% were in states that now have approved 1115 Medicaid waivers for contingency management services.
  • The Landscape of School-Based Mental Health Services

    In the 2024-2025 school year, 18% of students utilized school-based mental health services. This issue brief explores the landscape of mental health services, including services offered, utilization, barriers, and funding, as well as recent federal actions.
  • 5 Key Facts about Medicaid Coverage for Adults with Mental Illness

    Nationwide, an estimated 52 million nonelderly adults live with mental illness, and Medicaid covers nearly one in three (29%) of them, or about 15 million adults.
  • What Federal Medicaid Cuts Could Mean for the Opioid Epidemic

    Medicaid covers 47% of all nonelderly adults with OUD and is the primary coverage source among those receiving treatment services. This brief offers a look at what federal Medicaid spending cuts could mean for this population.

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  • 5 Key Facts About Medicaid Coverage for Adults with Mental Illness

    Issue Brief

    Nationwide, an estimated 52 million nonelderly adults live with mental illness, and Medicaid covers nearly one in three (29%) of them, or about 15 million adults. More than 1 in 3 Medicaid enrollees has a mental illness. Mental health treatment rates for Medicaid adults are higher than or similar to those with insurance.

  • A Look at Federal Health Data Taken Offline

    Policy Watch

    This post looks at federal government databases with key health data that went offline on Jan. 31, 2025, including several related to HIV, some of which had returned by Feb. 2, 2025. It briefly describing the affected databases, which include widely used, large-scale national health surveys, indices, and data dashboards, that inform research, policy making, and media coverage about health care and public health.

  • The Twin Problems of Mental Health Care: Access and Affordability

    From Drew Altman

    In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman analyzes the serious access and affordability challenges facing people with mental health problems and suggests the issue could be one of a few candidates for bipartisan action in the next Congress.

  • Teens, Drugs, and Overdose: Contrasting Pre-Pandemic and Current Trends

    Issue Brief

    This brief analyzes the latest CDC data on adolescent overdose deaths, finding that from 2022 to 2023, there was a small reduction in overdose fatalities among adolescents (from 721 to 708 deaths). Additionally, the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, has largely driven the increase in adolescent drug fatalities since the pandemic began, accounting for 76% of these fatalities in 2023. This analysis also explores federal and state policy responses to the drug crisis, such as requirements to stock naloxone in schools, accountability for social media companies, and national prevention education efforts.

  • 2024 Employer Health Benefits Survey

    Report

    This annual survey of employers provides a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including premiums, worker contributions, cost-sharing provisions, offer rates, and more. This year’s report also looks at how employers are addressing a growing need for mental health services.

  • 2024 Employer Health Benefits Chart Pack

    Feature

    This slideshow captures key data from the 2024 KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey survey, providing a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing, abortion coverage, offer rates, wellness programs, and other employer practices.

  • Opioid Deaths Fell in Mid-2023, But Progress Is Uneven and Future Trends are Uncertain

    Issue Brief

    • In the second half of 2023, opioid overdose deaths started to decline, and by December 2023, they were 20% fewer than there were in December 2022. Opioid death rates varied widely by race, ethnicity, age, and sex. In the second half of 2023, White people saw the largest decline (-14%) while declines in other racial and ethnic groups were much smaller. Opioid deaths increased for people 65+, while falling in all other age groups.