Medicare Discriminatory Copay Vanishes at Long Last
The complete elimination of Medicare's discriminatory copay for psychiatric patients-for which APA fought hard for many years-finally became reality on January 1. As of that date, all psychiatry services provided to Medicare patients are being reimbursed at 80%, just as all other medical services. Previously, Medicare beneficiaries faced a higher co-payment for outpatient mental health treatment, known as the mental health treatment limitation. The five-year phase-out of the discriminatory outpatient coverage came about as a result of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), enacted in July 2008. For more information, click here.