Yang announces plans to expand mental health coverage, telehealth services

White House hopeful Andrew Yang on Wednesday unveiled two plans to invest in mental health coverage and expand telehealth services.

Yang’s plan to invest in mental health revolves around prioritizing mental health checkups and increasing access to resources patients may need, and his plan to boost the use of telehealth is intended to increase accessibility to doctors for patients in remote areas of the country.{mosads}

“Comprehensive care in the 21st century means including crucial aspects of wellbeing and we should be integrating regular mental health checkups into primary care,” Yang said in a statement.

“Telehealth is an especially effective approach in rural areas and for mental health services, and it will allow licensed physicians to administer medical services and medication with ease and increase accessibility for patients.”

Yang’s mental health plan would integrate regular mental health checkups into primary care, provide federal funds for suicide prevention and awareness training in schools and expand training and loan forgiveness programs for those who provide mental health services in rural or underserved communities. 

Yang would also launch a national anti-stigma campaign to promote mental health awareness dubbed “Everybody Needs Help Sometimes.”

His telehealth plan would also invest funds to expand services in rural areas, allow licensed physicians to administer medical services and medication over the phone or online, implement federal medical licensing to doctors to practice telehealth across state lines and ensure broadband access for 99.9 percent of Americans. 

Yang, an entrepreneur, has focused much of his White House plan on combating the effects of automation and a “freedom dividend” that would give every American adult $1,000 a month. He has consistently polled in the middle tier of the primary field, outlasting senators and governors who entered the 2020 race with higher name recognition, and will appear at next week’s debate.