Beyond Parity: Primary Care Physicians' Perspectives On Access To Mental Health Care

About two-thirds of primary care physicians (PCPs) reported in 2004-05 that they could not get outpatient mental health services for patients-a rate that was at least twice as high as that for other services. Shortages of mental health care providers, health plan barriers, and lack of coverage or in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health Affairs 2009-05, Vol.28 (3), p.w490
Main Author: Cunningham, Peter J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Economic statistics
Health care access
Health care policy
Health maintenance organizations
Health services
HMOs
Insurance coverage
Low income groups
Medicaid
Medical practices
Medical referrals
Mental health
Mental health care
Parity
Patient admissions
Patients
Perceptions
Physicians
Primary care
Psychiatrists
Regression analysis
State employees
Studies
Uninsured people
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Summary:About two-thirds of primary care physicians (PCPs) reported in 2004-05 that they could not get outpatient mental health services for patients-a rate that was at least twice as high as that for other services. Shortages of mental health care providers, health plan barriers, and lack of coverage or inadequate coverage were all cited by PCPs as important barriers to mental health care access. The probability of having mental health access problems for patients varied by physician practice, health system, and policy factors. The results suggest that implementing mental health parity nationally will reduce some but not all of the barriers to mental health care. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0278-2715
1544-5208
DOI:10.1377/hlthaff.28.3.w490