Comparing Economic Policies of Mental Health Promotion in US and Australia

0Running head: HEALTH CARE POLICIES
Health Care Policies
Name of the Student
Name of University
Author’s note

1
HEALTH CARE POLICIES
Introduction
Mental illness contributes a significant amount of disease burden worldwide (World
Health Organization, 2001). Around the world, approximately 450 million people develop from
mental health complications and at least one fourth of the total world’s population are susceptible
of developing mental or behavioral disorder at some point of time during their lives (Whiteford
et al., 2013). Mental health disorders account for nearly 25% of mental health disability in the
different parts of United States, Canada, Western parts of Europe and Australia. It is also
regarded as the leading cause of premature death (Centre of Disease Control (CDC), 2017). In
United States 22% of the adult population has more than one diagnosable mental disorder per
year(Perou et al., 2013). Some of the common mental health disorders prevalent among the US
population included anxiety, impulse control disorders, bipolar mood disorders and substance-
abuse disorders(American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The effects of mental illness are
evident throughout the cultural, racial and ethnic groups(Betancourt et al., 2016). Moreover,
mental illness across United States cost $150 billion per year (excluding the cost of the research)
(Croft & Parish, 2013).
The following report aims to compare the economic policies of mental health promotion,
wellness and prevention programs in United States and Australia. The report also seeks to
analyze the implications and disparities of the economic policies of mental health in terms of
volume-based and values-based health care. At the end, the report aims to implement the policy
of Australia in US and then estimate the consequences.

2
HEALTH CARE POLICIES
Comparing economic policies and economic motivation
Economic policies of mental health promotion in America are mainly based over
providing security and freedom to the people suffering from mental illness. This security and
freedom is mainly based on providing adequate housing via supportive housing policy and social
support for people with mental illness and their care givers. The economic policies for mental
health promotion in America also encompass special health and social programs targeted towards
the vulnerable group. These vulnerable groups are mainly the people residing in rural areas and
chronic physical illness along with mental health disease. The economic policies also support
and promote community development programs via evidence based approach in order to reduce
the mental health burden on large scale (WHO, 2017a).
The economic policies of the mental health promotion in Australia aims to maximize the
ability of youth, children, adults and older people to understand their potential, cope with daily
stresses of life and to participate in community activities in meaningful ways. It also aims to
increase the understanding and awareness of mental health illness and problems while decreasing
the discrimination and stigma, which centers on mental health. It also promote help-seeking
behaviors where needed (Australian Government Department of Health, 2017). Thus overall the
economic policies in the mental health promotion in Australia is aimed towards designing
community based educational program which will help to promote awareness in mental health
along with reduction of mental health stigma. According to WHO (2017b), the economic policy
of mental health promotion in Australia also aims towards the generation of supportive
environment. Supportive environment helps in protecting direct and indirect effects of
surrounding environment on mental health. Besides Australia has separate economic policies in

3
HEALTH CARE POLICIES
order to control tobacco and alcohol use in order to reduce the mental health complications
arising from substance-abuse.
Analysis of the implications of the economic policies
According to VanLare and Conway (2012), volume-based health care signifies the
payment that the healthcare providers receive as payment for providing a particular service
regardless of the outcomes or the requirement. Value based health is a special health-care
delivery model under which the service providers including the physicians and the hospitals are
paid based on the patient’s health care outcomes.
In America, the main implications of the economic policies that are directed towards the
mental health, prevention, promotion and wellness is optimal implementation of the Affordable
Care Act (ACA) of 2010. It is an well-established health insurance act where the service
consumers can contrast and compare and then enroll on different health insurance plans which
includes separate plans for mental or behavioral health services. Mental and behavioral health
services in America are regarded as Essential Health Benefits which signifies that all the health
insurance plans which are private and are covered in the Marketplace must cover these services.
During 2013, Mental Health America (MHA) was selected as one of the 105 organizations that
obtained a special grant, “Navigator grant”. This grant is issued by the centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS). Via this grant, MHA participated as Navigator delivering direct in-
person help to the individuals who are interested in applying for the health insurance coverage
viathe health insurance exchange that is facilitated federally (Mental Health America, 2017).
Thus it can be seen that the economic policies for the mental health promotion and wellness is
based on the volume-based service. These volume-based services aimed towards covering as