Study Finds Commercially Insured Patients Face Mental Health Access Gaps
A JAMA-published secret-shopper study of Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in New Jersey, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, and Virginia found fewer than a quarter of answered calls to psychiatrists or psychologists resulted in an appointment. More than half of calls uncovered directory errors such as providers no longer in-network, retired, or at the wrong address, and 22% found providers too busy to accept new patients. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey performed best among plans studied but still averaged three-week wait times for a first appointment. Researchers from Ohio State and Stanford conclude that access barriers long documented in public insurance programs like Medicaid also extend to commercially insured populations, undermining assumptions that private coverage guarantees timely mental health care access.