Care Delayed

When you talk to executives in the health and human service field about mental health, what is the first issue they mention? Access to care. Good access to care is defined as being prompt, convenient, and affordable. But right now, when discussions of mental health care access come up, it’s all about the time—about how long it takes to get an appointment for services.

A newly released study illustrates the problem. Researchers called hundreds of child psychiatrists listed as in-network and posed as covered beneficiaries. Only 11% of the time did the call lead to an appointment . . .