Two-thirds of states cut mental healthcare funds

A mental illness advocacy group stated Wednesday, that nearly 2/3 of states cut mental health funding from their general fund budgets over the last two years. Alaska with 35%, and South Carolina and Arizona with 23% made the largest cuts to mental health spending in their general fund budgets, which do not include federal Medicaid funding, the study by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found.

“Cutting mental health means that costs only get shifted to emergency rooms, schools, police, local courts, jails and prisons,” said NAMI executive director Michael Fitzpatrick. “The taxpayer still pays the bill.” “Some states are trying to hold the line or make progress, but most are cutting deep. This stands in contrast to the intense national concern about the mental health care system following the Arizona tragedy two months ago,” he said.

Reuters

The National Alliance on Mental Illness said there is not a source for uniform information about state-by-state funding. Therefore, NAMI conducted the study by reviewing budgets from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. But still, differences in state budget reporting and in states’ populations may impact the findings. Leading the states that were exceptions to the mental healthcare budget cutting rule were Oregon, North Carolina, and Rhode Island, with 23%, 21%, and 7%increases respectively.