Medicare as a whole is either loved or hated by most people, and this is just one component of the policy as a whole. It is usually regarded in a positive light, since medicare generally treats both patients and providers well.
It is difficult to determine where this document comes from. It deals with medicaid, so it is related to the government and healthcare.
This policy affects the insurance coverage for some populations, so that may impact how willing people are to be transported. The policy mostly deals with IMDs though, and those aren't as frequent for emergency responders, unless the individual was trying to harm themselves.
The policy deals with Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD), which are defined as facilities with at least 16 beds, and focuses on diagnosing, treating, and caring for those with mental diseases. There are additional ways to determine whether a facility is an IMD. Once this determination is made, this policy aims to set limits on IMDs, as well as specify which services they should provide.
Medicaid covers the elderly and low-income families, those that are likely to not be able to afford health care, since children and the elderly often\ require more medical attention. It would seem to me that mental disabilities don't discrimintate based on age or strength, like physical issues may, however old age and decreasing physical abilities can harm mental health. These populations, with lower income, do not have as much access to mental health help, and that can further their economic situation, so this policy ensures that they will be taken care of sufficiently. At the same time, it ignores the needs of the middle-aged patients, as they must be covered by the state or in other ways.
This policy addresses the issue of mental health, a prominent issue in today's medicine. It helps to evaluate treatment facilities, and defines that the burden of caring for young and middle-aged people is one of the states, where as those outside of the specified age range will be covered for mental disabilities by the national government.
It was created to further outline the uses and resposibilities of medicaid, specifically with IMDs. It places more responsibility on the states for middle-aged people in need of this type of care, rather than the federal government. These changes and specifications occurred throughout the 1970's and 80's, when mental health was becoming more of an understood issue, and treatment of those with mental diseases was being improved.
This policy applies to the U.S. healthcare system, all facilities that treat patients. It applies to the managers, staff, and patients at those locations, and those seeking treatment or evaluation, as it helps define the roles and expectations of a specific type of facility.