Long wait times and high costs block access to mental health therapy
Patients face months-long delays and expensive out-of-network fees, widening the mental-health care gap.
4 voices
What people say
- My therapist retired. The next available in-network provider is booked until November. I'll be fine.
- My son's therapist just closed her practice. She couldn't afford to keep it running. Insurance reimbursements too low, admin overhead too high. He's 15, has been in therapy for 2 years, and we're back to square one trying to find someone who takes his insurance and has availability. Mental health care access in this country is a real problem.
- Tried to book a GP appointment today. Next available: August 22nd. For a routine checkup. Not an emergency, but still. If something urgent comes up I'm supposed to go to urgent care which costs 4x more. The primary care system feels like it's designed to fail you.
- Tried to see a therapist this week. Earliest available in-network appointment: 11 weeks out. Out-of-pocket for out-of-network: $250 per session. I'm lucky to have any options at all but so many people don't. The mental health access gap in this country is genuinely staggering and I don't see it improving.