A new study shows that psychiatrists are less likely to accept health insurance compared with doctors of other specialties, according to a report by The New York Times.
Published in the journal JAMA Psychaitry, the study found only 55 percent of psychiatrists accepts health insurance as opposed to 89 percent of doctors who specialize in other fields. Only 55 percent of psychiatrists accept patients with Medicare against 86 percent of doctors from other fields. For patients covered by Medicaid, a health insurance for low-income people, only 43 percent of psychiatrists would accept their insurance as opposed to 73 percent of other doctors.
"In the wake of the school killings in Newtown, Conn., and other recent mass shootings, the need for increased mental health services is now recognized," Tara F. Bishop of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, and lead author of the study told The New York Times. "But unless patients have deep pockets, they may have a hard time finding a psychiatrist who will treat them."
Under the new Affordable Care Act, mental health care is considered as one of 10 types of essential health benefits that insured patients are entitled to. The new law requires insurers to cover the mental health conditions of the insured without charging higher treatment cost. The Affordable Care Act sees mental health treatments equal to other physical conditions and illnesses.
"Even if you have good insurance that covers mental health care, you may still have a problem if there's no doctor who accepts your insurance," Dr. Bishop said. The Study suggests that expanding health care insurance to cover mental health treatment is no guarantee that the insured can access psychiatric services.
There are reasons for insurance payment disparities when it comes to psychiatrists and doctors of other fields. According to Dr. Steven S. Sharstein, former president of the American Psychiatric Association and president of the Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore, psychiatrists relatively charge lower for their services. Psychiatrists generally see manage care companies' review process tedious and intrusive.
"Many psychiatrists do not take insurance," Sharfstein told The New York Times. "They have an out-of-pocket practice. They charge what they can, but they are flexible and will set rates on a sliding scale."
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