OPEN MINDS, The Behavioral Health & Social Service Industry Analyst Industry Statistics The public sector has become the primary payer of behavioral health services in the United States, paying 54.2% of total mental health and chemical dependency treatment services in 1996. In the same year, government payments for all health care services was 47%. This was the conclusion of a study, "National Expenditures For Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Treatment, 1996" commissioned by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration . . .