Between 2015 and 2020, pediatric emergency department visits for mental health episodes increased by 43 percent. Some states are finding innovative ways to get help to young people before a crisis develops. On To the Point, Laura Conrad of the Technical Assistance Collaborative highlights different strategies for funding youth mental health services and promoting care models that center the needs and preferences of young people. She says linking families to a range of services is key to improving young people’s well-being and keeping them out of the hospital.

Medicare coverage of mental health services has expanded in recent years to include lower cost sharing for outpatient care, free wellness visits, and telehealth. Yet gaps remain: inpatient psychiatric hospital care, for example, is capped at 190 days across a person’s lifetime, and patients in Medicare Advantage plans often lack access to in-network mental health providers. Read our explainer to learn about Medicare’s mental health benefits and what could be done to improve access for beneficiaries living with mental illness.