Abstract

Good policy is dependent upon good data. This is especially true in health policy. Here we provide data on the number of Kentucky Medicaid beneficiaries who have received a mental or behavioral health diagnosis from 2000 to 2010. A Profile of Kentucky Medicaid Mental Health Diagnoses, 2000‐2010 provides information on the total number of individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder as well as a year‐by‐year count of the 15 broad categories used to classify these diagnoses. Presented for children (age 18 and younger) and adults (19 and older), these data are organized at the state, regional, and county levels—which should enable leaders and citizens to compare mental health diagnoses between different communities. These comparisons should provoke important public policy and public health questions, such as what accounts for the different patterns across the state overall, between genders, and among races with respect to, for example, ADHD, developmental disorders, and substance‐related disorders. Moreover, used in conjunction with a companion report on Medicaid pharmaceutical utilization, the Kentucky Medicaid Pharmaceutical Utilization Guide, 2000‐2010, the strategic allocation of resources dedicated to improving health literacy can be advanced—among patients, health care providers, and the community at large.

This work is a collaborative effort between the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information, and the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) in the Gatton College of Business and Economics.

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

9-2012

Notes/Citation Information

Research supported by The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

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