Five Firms Dominate Medicaid Youth Mental Health Care

A study by Oregon Health & Science University found that millions of Medicaid-enrolled children are covered by care organizations owned by one of five large, national firms. These companies - Centene, Elevance Health (formerly Anthem), UnitedHealth Group, Molina Healthcare, and CVS Health - have a major stake in the healthcare market.

Researchers examined a database of Medicaid claims data for millions of children enrolled in these care organizations in 2022. They found that these firms had lower screening rates for mental health issues, despite Medicaid requiring periodic screenings to identify children's physical and behavioral health needs.

The study also found that children enrolled in plans by four of the five large firms were more likely to receive psychotropic prescriptions without a psychotherapy visit. This is a concern, as some medications can be appropriate on their own, but routine prescription without therapy may indicate insufficient access to psychological support.