Newsletter Articles | May 1, 2012
U.S. Behavioral Health Spending Hits $135 Billion
U.S. Behavioral Health Spending Hits $135 Billion
In 2005, a total of $135 billion was spent on behavioral health services in the United States. The largest shares of this spending went towards outpatient services and prescription drugs. The distribution of spending by service has shifted over time. For example, for mental health care, increased utilization of prescription drugs and decreased reliance on inpatient services has shifted spending over time.
Public payers account for the majority of spending for both mental health and substance abuse services, but the distribution of spending across payers differs for mental health and substance abuse . . .