A recent study by RTI International sheds light on the behavior of patients when seeking care from behavioral health clinicians compared to medical/surgical clinicians. The research found that patients are more likely to go out-of-network for behavioral health visits, with some services seeing up to 20 times more out-of-network activity.
For instance, psychiatry and psychology services saw higher rates of out-of-network activity, with patients 8.9 times more likely to see a psychiatrist and 10.6 times more likely to see a psychologist out-of-network. Acute and sub-acute behavioral inpatient care also had significantly higher rates of out-of-network activity.
This trend suggests that there may be issues with the availability of in-network behavioral health providers and the reimbursement rates for their services. Reimbursement for in-network office visits with behavioral clinicians was lower than for medical/surgical clinicians, leading researchers to believe that this could be a disincentive for behavioral health providers to participate in-network.
To address these issues, the authors recommend higher reimbursement rates for behavioral health providers to attract more providers to join in-network, as well as a closer evaluation of reimbursement disparities between medical/surgical and behavioral health services. The study highlights the importance of expanding access to behavioral health networks to improve patient outcomes and reduce financial burdens.
In conclusion, this study emphasizes the need for improving accessibility and affordability of mental healthcare services by expanding network coverage for mental health providers. It is crucial that policymakers prioritize this issue by providing adequate funding and incentives for mental health professionals to participate in insurance networks, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs associated with out-of-pocket payments or uncompensated care.
The article highlights some important points about the current state of mental healthcare in America. The availability of mental health services is not always sufficient, which can lead patients seeking care outside their insurance network or not receiving any treatment at all.
The study shows that patients are more likely to seek out
