Currently the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid will only reimburse a facility of 16 beds or less.
If a psychiatric treatment facility has more than 16 beds they are not reimbursed. This creates an artificial limit on the number of beds. To treat more than 16 psychiatric patients an organization, state or county will have to open a second or third facility if they wish to treat more than 16 people on an inpatient basis.
This means that a lot of adults & children do not get treatment at all as they do not have the money for a private facility.
Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds tried to get his son into psychiatric treatment during a crisis but no beds were available. His son was released. Hours later his son stabbed him & he nearly died. His son died from a self inflicted gunshot.