“I have Medicaid, but I can’t ever find a doctor. Can you help with that?” A question asked by a student during a health insurance literacy presentation at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). Familiar with the question, I was able to refer her to one of our partner clinics. Insurance literacy is just the beginning of knowing how to navigate the complicated system of health insurance, finding a provider is key. If you can’t locate a provider, how can you really take control of your health? Especially if you’re in need of mental health support.
It’s no surprise that there is a shortage of mental health providers. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness(NAMI), more than 160 million Americans live in a mental health provider shortage area, and half of U.S. counties have no psychiatrists. In Virginia, 37% of the population lives in a mental health professional shortage area and a large number of licensed mental health professionals are entering retirement age. Considering this and the increase in mental health issues due to the cold-19 pandemic, one can see that we are in a crisis. Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center has seen an increase of 22% of patients needing psych evaluation in the last year and if you are a Medicaid recipient like our NVCC student, you are running into providers that aren’t accepting Medicaid, or aren’t accepting new patients at all.
So what should you do if you are faced with a provider shortage and need care? First, don’t give up. It may be frustrating, but there’s an available provider out there. Secondly, contact your Managed Care Organization(MCO)/insurance provider, or give your caseworker a call. Inform them of what’s been going on and let them know what kind of provider you are looking for. They may be able to provide you with additional resources in your area. Lastly, connect with a certified navigator. Navigators were created during the Affordable Care Act. They are trained and certified to provide unbiased information about the health care exchange and health plans available in the area. In addition to application assistance, navigators assist with health insurance questions, eligibility appeals, and other resources – free of charge. To locate a navigator in your area, visit getcoveredamerica.org or see our one-pager for accessing mental health resources in Virginia.
Iesha Young is the Virginia Engagement Manager at Young Invincibles. She works predominantly in Northern Virginia providing direct health literacy and enrollment services to young adults, students, and families. Sources:
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