Thursday, June 4, 2006 | Volume 40 No 12

Guy Anthony

More than one in five American adults battle depression, bipolar disorder, or some other mental ill- ness. And even with insurance, about two-thirds of those patients can't access treatment.

That's because insurers are open- ly disregarding federal law and structuring plans that provide inad- equate coverage for mental health care.

These barriers especially harm patients of color, who dispropor- tionately experience mental health challenges.

Federal law requires insurers to provide equal access to men- tal health conditions and physical health problems. But insurers have found ways to skirt those requirements.

Consider how many insurers set reimbursement rates for mental health services so low that provid- ers struggle to sustain their prac- tices.

providers don't take insurance - about a third of psychologists, for example, don't accept insurance.

Even patients who do find in-net- work providers face coverage bar- riers.

Letter to the Editor:

Insurers Are Blocking Mental Health Care

By Guy Anthony

For example, insurers frequent- ly rely on "prior authorization," which requires doctors to com- plete lengthy paperwork and jump through administrative hoops to obtain insurer approval to pre- scribe a medication or treatment for a patient.

Over a quarter of patients who take or seek a prescription medica- tion for a mental health condition experience prior authorization is- sue, according to one recent sur- vey.

Over 90% of doctors say that pri- or authorization delays necessary care, and over three in four say that patients discontinue treatment be- cause of prior authorization chal- lenges.

Studies show that prior authori- zation can delay access to essen- tial behavioral health medication, leading to decreased treatment effectiveness and avoidable harm.

I've experienced these delays firsthand. While living with bipo- lar disorder for more than a de- cade, I've had to navigate complex medication regimes and constant changes in treatment. A few years ago, prior authorization blocked me from getting the medication that kept me stable.

This wasn't about my doctor's judgment, it was an administrative barrier that put my health at risk. If I can still face coverage gaps de- spite having resources and experi- ence navigating the system, many others - especially people of col- or barriers.

are likely facing even greater

Many insurers even effectively

As a result, many mental health impose limits on how many thera- py visits a patient can have covered in a year or only offer mental health services for a limited amount of time.

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FBN/DBA $99 www.wssnews.com | (909)384-8131 mercial recordings and growing American audiences through com- Caribbean immigrant communities in cities like New York. In Trini- dad, calypso tents served as cultur- al gathering spaces where singers used music to tell stories, comment on politics, and entertain Carnival crowds. Those traditions would later travel with Caribbean immi- grants to the United States. By the late 1930s, calypso stars like Lord Invader and Roaring Lion were gaining international attention as American record labels brought Caribbean artists to New York to record music and perform in night- clubs.

One of the earliest examples of cultural appropriation in popular music came when Lord Invader's song "Rum and Coca-Cola" was adapted and recorded by the An- drews Sisters in 1945 without proper credit or compensation. Lord Invader later won a land- mark copyright lawsuit, helping establish important protections for songwriters and composers.

• In the 1950s, Jamaican-born
• WESTSIDESTORY NEWSPAPER
• Continued from the front page

Caribbean Roots, American Rhythms: How Caribbean Americans Helped

Shape Black Music

Aaliyah

Grandmaster Flash te brought Caribbean music into singer and actor Harry Belafon- mainstream American culture. His groundbreaking 1956 album Ca- lypso became the first album in his- tory to sell more than one million copies in a single year. Songs like "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" introduced many Americans to Ca- ribbean rhythms and storytelling traditions for the very first time. As Caribbean immigration to the United States continued to grow, so did the influence of Caribbean music and culture. In the 1960s and 1970s, Jamaican artists like Jimmy

Cliff helped introduce ska and reg- gae music to American audiences through songs like "Wonderful World, Beautiful People." Soon af- ter, Bob Marley & The Wailers and Third World transformed reggae from a regional sound into a global musical movement rooted in spiri- tuality, social justice, and Black liberation.

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