By Katherine Fischer, Psy.D

Dr. Katherine Fischer, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist who was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a 7th generation Nevadan. She is currently working in San Jose, California, testing kids for learning disabilities. She can be reached at TestWithAFish@gmail.com.

“Suicide is preventable” says the American Psychological Association. However, many people lack adequate access to mental-health care, let alone health care for physical ailments. Bernie Sanders has a comprehensive health care plan that includes mental health (as well as medical and dental services); it’s a major reason I support his campaign.

Imagine that you or a loved one is struggling with depression or is feeling isolated. Under our current system you would either need to find a therapist and pay out of pocket or hope that your insurance company will cover the sessions. Roughly 1 in 7 Nevadans currently live in poverty , so a $400 price tag means uncovered treatment is not accessible. We lie to ourselves and say, “it’s not that bad” or “I’m making this out to be worse than it is.” I’m a psychologist and I’ve said those things to myself! Lack of access to adequate mental health services is part of the reason why children living in poverty are 87% more likely to die from gun suicide, and Nevadans have a higher rate of suicide than the national average, with one person dying by suicide every 14 hours according to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. It is the second leading cause of death for individuals ages 15–34.

Even if your insurance covers mental health services, insurance companies will only pay for services that are medically necessary. This means that you “must be diagnosed with a mental illness disorder. Additionally, the clinician must prove that your mental health condition is affecting your health and overall functioning on a daily basis”. For some people this might not seem like a big deal, but a consequence is that health coverage in the future could cost more. Even if higher payments don’t seem like a big deal in the short term, it can cause problems later. If you lose your job, or your company decides to use a different medical insurance company, or you need life insurance, conditions for which you are seeking treatment can make it more difficult to find affordable health care. Prices vary wildly depending on your insurance: “an appendectomy, for example, can cost anywhere from $1,529 to $186,955 depending on how good of a deal an insurer can get from a hospital.” In a time that we should be focusing on getting better we are forced to weigh the pros and cons of receiving treatment, and all too often the cons win and we go without care.

Even if depression, mental health difficulties, or suicide have never affected you, the economic impact of suicide is still tangible. According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention suicide cost Nevada an average of $1084,351 per suicide. That is a billion dollars lost each year to an outcome that could at least in part be prevented if people had access to care. That much extra economic activity would help all of Nevada, whether you are a mom and pop store or a large casino. Having the adequate health care that Medicare for all will be so beneficial it would likely increase wages and create jobs.

Medicare For All is not Medicare as it exists today. It is universal health care. Medicare For All will cover more ailments than private insurance companies cover now like medications, emergency visits, dental, and mental health services. Additionally, while some might argue that Medicare for All will raise taxes, these taxes will be less than what Americans pay in medical bills and insurance premiums annually. Keeping a public option for health insurance maintains the health disparities and inequalities that are prevalent in today’s health care system. This means that people will still ration and avoid care when they cannot afford it. Senator Bernie Sanders, is currently the only Democratic Presidential Candidate remaining in the race that actually has a plan for universal healthcare. I, and many other doctors, genuinely believe that one of the best things that we can do to reduce suicides and for the personal, economic, and mental health of all Nevadans is to vote for Bernie Sanders and Medicare for All.