tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post744419944247898749..comments2024-03-18T03:28:36.581-04:00Comments on Shrink Rap: Medicare Spending on Mental Health is Up! And Why is This a Surprise?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-72288639783415279752015-07-24T02:48:47.092-04:002015-07-24T02:48:47.092-04:00Also Medicare is now paying 80% of outpatient ment...Also Medicare is now paying 80% of outpatient mental health visits instead of 50%. With lesser co-pays, more patients may be attending more outpatient mental health visits - I have several in my practice that seem to be doing this. Of course, it is quite difficult to find private practice psychiatrists who take Medicare!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-24272464243974590722015-06-06T10:45:51.766-04:002015-06-06T10:45:51.766-04:00Dinah,
I think you are right. It has more to do w...Dinah,<br /><br />I think you are right. It has more to do with coding changes than anything else. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-45376866163257914502015-06-04T07:13:53.456-04:002015-06-04T07:13:53.456-04:00Dr. Hassman,
I greatly applaud your attitude abou...Dr. Hassman,<br /><br />I greatly applaud your attitude about realizing that a "MI" diagnosis doesn't mean the person is impaired for life. Unfortunately, many psychiatrists aren't as careful as you and Dinah are regarding prescriptions and put a person on multi medications that end up being very disabling which result in the disability claims.<br /><br />By the way, your post makes me recall the story of someone who was diagnosed with BP disorder and had a great paying job. When she felt the medications were impacting her cognitive ability and worried that would effect her ability to continue in her job, she complained to her psychiatrist who essentially had the attitude she had to settle for a lesser job or go on disability. Instead, this person chose to go off of meds without any support and was able to manage although she admitted it wasn't always easy. She also made lifestyle changes that seemed to help.<br /><br />AAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-31509053060271271872015-06-03T22:03:45.054-04:002015-06-03T22:03:45.054-04:00I just wonder what the long-term implications are....I just wonder what the long-term implications are. Reactive cutbacks in psychiatry payments? Increased oversight and management of psychiatrists? Nothing? Be interesting to see how this pans out.PsychPracticehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07071440888782115503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26666124.post-65667799671741401882015-06-02T20:02:05.398-04:002015-06-02T20:02:05.398-04:00Come on, Dr Miller, you know what is a primary dyn...Come on, Dr Miller, you know what is a primary dynamic to Medicare increases for mental health care, and that is disability. And I think you equally know, it is not only a shame, but outrageous that over 90% of patients who get a disability determination on day 1 still have it 10 years later, and that is just astounding to see, with what I have witnessed in my various travels in CMHCs these past 10 years, much of it as a Locums the last 5 years alone.<br /><br />Bipolar disorder and PTSD do not inherently mean someone is not only disabled, but impaired for life. But, we have colleagues who genuinely not only believe this attitude, but sell it. And there is the real disability, impaired colleagues who rob people of the basic need for hope and faith.<br /><br />At least you have a new post. Guess APA was either that long or that exhaustive?!Joel Hassman, MDhttp://cantmedicatelife.comnoreply@blogger.com