Bill Overview
Title: Primary and Behavioral Health Care Access Act of 2022
Description: 2 This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover, without cost sharing, three primary care visits and three behavioral health care visits during a plan year.
Sponsors: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Target Audience
Population: People with private health insurance coverage
Estimated Size: 178000000
- The bill requires private health insurance plans to cover, without cost sharing, primary and behavioral healthcare visits.
- Individuals with private health insurance will directly benefit from this bill.
- In 2021, about 54% of Americans had private health insurance according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
- The impact will be on those within countries where such private health insurance systems operate that align with the nature of the bill.
Reasoning
- Approximately 178 million Americans had private health insurance in 2021.
- Not all people with private insurance will need additional care beyond their usual annual visits, hence not impacted.
- Budgetary constraints suggest prioritizing high-impact group queries in lower cost settings.
- Including demographic diversity given 54% of insuranced-Americans could result in differentiated benefits.
Simulated Interviews
Marketing Analyst (New York, NY)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy will greatly assist with my mental health care expenses.
- It will lead to reduced financial stress as I regularly see a therapist.
- I hope that the quality of care remains consistent with this increased access.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Construction Worker (Houston, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having free primary care visits for myself and my family will relieve financial burden.
- I hope the policy improves our quality of life by allowing regular check-ups.
- The inclusion of behavioral health is particularly beneficial for my wife.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Retired Teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will allow me to handle more preventative care without money worries.
- It will help manage healthcare costs better on a fixed income.
- Regular access might improve my physical health over time.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Tech Entrepreneur (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy won’t drastically impact me due to existing quality health insurance.
- However, the inclusion of mental health is a step forward.
- I'm glad this will benefit my employees as a general message to support health care accessibility.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Freelance Writer (Portland, OR)
Age: 54 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could greatly assist with regular therapy sessions.
- Mental health parity in insurance is overdue and will improve my quality of life.
- Access without cost-sharing could offer the stability I need.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
Healthcare Administrator (Seattle, WA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy will significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs for my whole family.
- Behavioral visits without cost-sharing will be particularly beneficial for my son.
- Easier access to routine care supports overall family well-being.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Graduate Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 26 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It reduces financial stress associated with unexpected health issues.
- Mental health support access is especially useful given the pressures of my program.
- It's a short-term economic relief but won't impact my long-term plan dramatically.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Corporate Lawyer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Though I have good health coverage already, mental health protections are important culturally.
- It reassures that more access may normalize seeking help
- I hope it evolves to integrate better labor protections for mental health.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Retired (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 70 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill sounds incredible as covering my gaps saves money for other expenses.
- It’s one less thing for my family to worry about.
- I appreciate the inclusion of mental health as families can run into such issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Public School Teacher (Charlotte, NC)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We often postpone medical visits due to cost.
- This policy may really help us keep up with necessary health checks.
- Hopeful this eases some financial burden on my family.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $1500000000 (Low: $1000000000, High: $2000000000)
Year 2: $1550000000 (Low: $1050000000, High: $2050000000)
Year 3: $1600000000 (Low: $1100000000, High: $2100000000)
Year 5: $1700000000 (Low: $1200000000, High: $2200000000)
Year 10: $2000000000 (Low: $1450000000, High: $2500000000)
Year 100: $5000000000 (Low: $4000000000, High: $6000000000)
Key Considerations
- The bill's cost to insurance companies may be passed to consumers in the form of higher premiums, though this could be offset by the reduction in long-term healthcare costs.
- Behavioral health access may alleviate broader community health issues, potentially reducing emergency room visits.