In the State of Alabama, over 200,000 adults experience a serious mental illness each year, with a large percentage of these people needing but not receiving treatment. One big reason for this is the lack of available care in this state. Mental illnesses can be acute or chronic. These conditions affect an individual’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. They include depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and personality disorders, among others.
Over 500,000 lives were lost to suicide in 2024, and this has increased rapidly among people of color, young individuals, and those who live in rural areas. Risk factors can include isolation, relationship struggles, financial problems, homelessness, and physical health. Many people who are in need of mental health care and treatment are unable to access it in a timely manner due to a shortage of medical providers, particularly in rural areas.
Medicaid plays a key role in the coverage and financing of mental health care and substance use treatment for low-income Americans. State funding in Alabama for mental health services has been slow to recover from the funding cuts and the lack of funding from the Medicaid expansion that Gov Ivey refused to accept. This resulted in the shutting down of several state-run psychiatric hospitals and decreased the number of available beds in others. Searcy Hospital in Mt Vernon and Greil Hospital in Montgomery closed their doors in 2012. North Alabama Regional Hospital in Decatur shut down in 2015, and Bryce Hospital closed in 2014. Robert Aderholt voted NO to expand Medicaid.
Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill has placed several Alabama hospitals at risk of closing. Among those at risk is the Marion Regional Medical Center in Hamilton, Alabama. According to Becker’s Review, 28 Alabama hospitals are at risk of closing, with 23 being at an immediate risk based on financial distress as follows:
1. J. Paul Jones Hospital (Camden) – Historically struggling, limited funding.
2. Coosa Valley Medical Center (Sylacauga) – Rural financial pressures.
3. Lake Martin Community Hospital (Dadeville) – Small, vulnerable rural hospital.
4. Choctaw General Hospital (Butler) – Rural location, low patient volume.
5. Pickens County Medical Center (Closed in 2020, but could affect nearby hospitals.)
6. Southwest Alabama Medical Center (Thomasville) – Limited resources.
7. Hill Hospital of Sumter County (Livingston) – Known to be financially struggling.
8. John Paul St. Medical Center (Troy) – Small rural hospital.
9. Evergreen Medical Center (Evergreen) – Low patient volume.
10. Washington County Hospital (Chatom) – Struggled financially in recent years.
11. Marshall Medical Center South (Boaz) – Dependent on Medicaid funding.
12. Bullock County Hospital (Union Springs) – Rural, financial pressures.
13. Prattville Baptist Hospital (Prattville) – Small hospital with significant financial challenges.
14. Dale Medical Center (Ozark) – Rural community hospital with budget constraints.
15. Russell Medical (Alexander City) – Struggled with reimbursement rates.
16. L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital (Greenville) – Previously at risk of closure.
17. Elba General Hospital (Elba) – Limited patient base.
18. North Baldwin Infirmary (Bay Minette) – Heavy reliance on Medicaid.
19. Mizell Memorial Hospital (Opp) – Small and financially unstable.
20. Bibb Medical Center (Centreville) – At risk due to funding shortages.
21. Tanner Medical Center (Wedowee) – Rural hospital challenges.
22. Whitfield Regional Hospital (Demopolis) – Has faced closure risks before.
23. Clay County Hospital (Ashland) – Small and financially vulnerable.
Alabamians diagnosed with mental illness are also more likely to be uninsured. The lack of the Medicaid expansion is also contributing to the State’s mental health crisis. Alabama is ranked in the bottom twelve for health care access. Even insured people are struggling to access mental health care services. Almost 16% of Alabamians who experienced mental illness in the past year had private health insurance that did not cover mental or emotional problems.
Many of our people who are in need of mental health services are our Veterans. Alabama is proud of our military, with more than 9% having served our country. The State now faces the tragic reality of having one of the nation’s highest Veteran suicide rates in the country. According to David Albright, the investigator for VitAL, a research partnership of the University of Alabama, presented the information to the Steering Committee with the Legislature stating that Alabama’s Veterans have a higher rate of serious mental illness, opioid misuse, and alcohol misuse than non-veterans. Sadly, this research also showed an overall shortage of services in Alabama where Veterans can get treatment.
A bill was submitted to the Veterans Mental Health Steering Committee that requires the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) and the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs to collaborate on developing a comprehensive plan for mental health, substance use, and other services for Veterans. The Mental Health Matters Act was passed in the House, which would increase Federal funding to mental and behavioral health care. Robert Aderholt voted NO on this bill. The Mental Health Justice Act 2022 would establish a grant program for states, tribal entities, and local governments to train and dispatch mental health professionals to respond, instead of local law enforcement officers, to emergencies that involve individuals with behavioral health needs. Robert Aderholt voted NO on this bill as well.
Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will also have a negative impact on mental health in Alabama. In essence, the Big Beautiful Bill Act is projected to exacerbate existing mental health challenges and create new ones by significantly reducing access to care, increasing financial strain on individuals and families, and disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations.
What are our representatives doing about all of this? They are voting to pass every single bill Trump is sending to them without any remorse. All they see is their own benefit. They all have a lifetime 5 Star Healthcare that our tax money pays for, while they vote to take healthcare from millions of Americans. Remember this the next time you see Donald’s little mouth lie to you about how he intends to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Remember this the next time you see Aderholt at one of his photo ops, telling you how great America is now that Trump is your president. Remember this when Tuberville wants your vote to be our Governor when the only promise he made was to support Trump, not you, not me, …..Trump.
Lynda Kirkpatrick