Opioid addictions and the COVID-19 pandemic jacked up the collective revenue of U.S. mental health providers from $68 billion in 2015 to $103 billion in 2021, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday.
Pandemic-related factors included Medicare changes covering telemedicine and congressional legislation expanding services for people trapped in addiction and mental distress during lockdowns, Census Bureau survey statistician Reenie Wagner said in an analysis of new data from an annual survey released in November.
She found revenues surged for outpatient and residential facilities, government-run and private psychiatric hospitals and the private practices of therapists and physicians specializing in mental health, including psychiatrists. The bureau did not adjust the figures for inflation.
“Over the past decade, the nation has faced multiple long-term public health emergencies that increased demand for mental health services, including the opioid crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ms. Wagner said.
Estimated revenues at the offices of therapists, psychologists and other practitioners without a medical degree led the way, doubling from $7.9 billion in 2015 to $16.2 billion in 2021. That topped the revenue increases for public and private psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals that prescribe medications, she noted.
Government-owned psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals experienced the lowest increase of all mental health industries, climbing by 12.0% from $12.3 to $13.8 billion over the same period.
The Census Bureau report noted that the Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid addiction crisis a public health emergency in 2017, with the problem continuing during the pandemic “despite mounting efforts to control it.”
It added that mental health providers are treating a growing number of Americans addicted to opioids such as the illegal drug heroin and legally prescribed pain relievers such as oxycodone, codeine, morphine, and the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl.
According to HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 9.2 million people abused opioids in 2021, or 3.3% of the U.S. population older than 11.
Nearly 1 in 4 adults experienced mental illness in 2021 as pandemic shutdowns and remote work and school orders fueled a rise in emotional disorders, according to the SAMHSA data Ms. Wagner cited.
Her report noted that mental health revenues increased further as Medicare administrators and lawmakers expanded insurance coverage for services, including visits with therapists by telephone and video.
“This period included the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic which triggered restrictions on businesses and social distancing policies,” Ms. Wagner wrote. “These restrictions disrupted the economy as well as routine social interactions.”
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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