People on Medicare or Medicaid struggle to access mental and behavioral health services. That’s according to a new federal report.
The U.S. Health and Human Services report says demand for therapists, psychologists and substance-use treatment have remained high since the pandemic. But patients on Medicaid, traditional Medicare or private Medicare plans can have a hard time booking an appointment.
The top reason: providers already have too many patients. Nearly half said they couldn’t book new appointments, according to the report.
A quarter of providers who could take on new patients said their wait times were more than 30 days. That percentage was higher for those working with kids.
Some providers have stopped taking Medicare and Medicaid altogether. The report suggests states and the federal government review reimbursement rates. Higher rates may encourage more providers to accept public health plans.
It also says rules that dictate how many providers are in private Medicare plans need work. Those plans can have thinner rosters of providers, limiting patient access.
