SAN FRANCISCO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- A statewide poll by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, indicates that nearly three in four Californians believe it is "very important" for health insurance plans to cover treatment for mental health conditions, and alcohol or drug use problems.
Administered by telephone in six languages and dialects on May 4-31, the poll included a large-scale statewide sample of 1,628 California adults.
Findings from the poll by the UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) were released Wednesday, on behalf of the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF).
When asked how important health insurance coverage for mental health conditions and alcohol or drug use treatment is to people in California, 74 percent of the respondents say this is "very important," while another 16 percent consider it "somewhat important."
While large majorities across all demographics and in all regions of the state consider this coverage highly important, the subgroups most inclined to say coverage is "very important" are African Americans (87 percent), registered Democrats (86 percent), women (83 percent), Latinos (83 percent), state-wide public health program Medi-Cal's low-income recipients (82 percent), and political liberals (81 percent).
Almost six in 10 Republican voters and others in the Golden State on the U.S. West Coast who describe themselves as politically conservative support such coverage.
"While Congress is debating changes and cuts to health insurance programs, the people of California are clear that they value coverage for mental health and substance use disorders, coverage that many insurance plans failed to offer before the ACA," said Catherine Teare, an associate director of the CHCF in a statement. "This is something that conservatives and liberals can agree on in this state."
Mental health and substance use disorder coverage is required in most plans as a result of the nation's Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare, after former U.S. President Barack Obama, who signed the national health reform legislation into law in 2010.
Underlying the public support in the most populous U.S. state is the widely shared belief that treatment for mental health conditions and alcohol or drug use problems helps those with such issues to lead healthy and productive lives.
And, more than one in five Californians (22 percent) report that they or a family member sought out counseling or treatment for a mental health condition like depression or anxiety in the past year, while a far smaller proportion (4 percent) did so for an alcohol or drug use problem.
In addition, 66 percent of California residents say they would be "very likely" to seek professional help if they needed counseling or treatment for a mental health condition, like depression or anxiety, and 65 percent say this with regard to alcohol or drug use problems.
Larger proportions of insured than uninsured Californians report being very likely to seek counseling or treatment if they had such problems and were covered by insurance.
Wednesday's release is the second of a two-part series of reports examining California public opinion about the ACA and health insurance coverage issues.
Part one, released Tuesday, shows 56 percent of Californians worry that they or a family member may lose their health insurance coverage if the U.S. Congress repeals the ACA.
The margin of error for the poll results is minus or plus 5 percent.
