Medicare parity: we're not done yet!
While Medicare's discriminatory copayments for mental and physical health care are being eliminated, much remains to be done to achieve true parity within Medicare. Medicare needs to recognize and pay for such critical mental health services as case management, psychiatric rehabilitation, and assertive community treatment. Medicare must cover payments for all behavioral health professionals. Also the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital days under Medicare must be removed. We envision a time-in the not too distant future-when Medicare provides a mental health benefit that includes vital community services.
Rosenberg
Linda
L
MSIU, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Washington, DC, USA. MeenaD@thenationalcouncil.org
D019090:Case Management / Q000191:economics; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy; D014481:United States