TOPIC: INCREASING AWARENESS OF HOW INSUFFICIENT INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR MENTAL

HEALTHCARE AFFECTS YOUTH WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES

SUBMITTED BY: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA STUDENT NURSES’ ASSOCIATION

ARLINGTON NURSING STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
ORLANDO, FLORIDA & ARLINGTON, TEXAS

AUTHORS: Sarah Bell, Klade Rodriguez, Krystal Craft

WHEREAS, A recent survey revealed over half (56%) of Americans sought mental health services for
themselves or others but were unable to access them due to multiple factors such as
high cost and insufficient insurance coverage (Pabayo et al., 2021 p. 185); and
WHEREAS, Youth (under 18) with chronic and/or terminal illnesses are more likely than the average
individual to struggle with a mental illness because they endure frequent disruptions to
daily life such as medical procedures which may interfere with developmental
milestones (Garey, 2022); and
WHEREAS, Struggling with mental health has been shown to worsen physical symptoms of chronic
illness and increase the cost of healthcare by 45 to 75 percent (Seaton, 2022, p.1); and
WHEREAS, Youth who suffer from complex and chronic illnesses who have access to public health
coverage are less likely to report having unmet health care needs related to cost barriers
to care than children who have private, “other”, or no insurance (Graaf, 2020, p. 401);
therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Florida Nursing Students’ Association (FNSA) increase awareness of the

negative effects of insufficient insurance coverage for mental health services in youth

with chronic and/or terminal illness(es); and be it further

RESOLVED, that FNSA publishes an article in Imprint which describes how to apply for several public

health insurance options such as Obamacare and Medicaid in order to help address this

need and to support integrated healthcare such as the Collaborative Care Model; and be

it further

RESOLVED, FNSA will publish a social media post showcasing reliable low-cost or free mental health

resources to supplement insurance-funded services, for example, the National Alliance

on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Child Life resources; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the FNSA share this resolution with the National Student Nurses’ Association

(NSNA), Florida Nurses Association (FNA), American Nurses Association (ANA), American

Academy of Pediatrics, Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses (APHON),

National Nurses United, National League for Nursing, American Association of Colleges
of Nursing, Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, Oncology Nursing Society

(ONS), American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; American Cancer Society,

American Diabetes Association, the Epilepsy Foundation, the American Heart

Association, and all others deemed appropriate by the FSNA Board of Directors.