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The American Psychiatric Association launched a new consumer blog, Healthy Minds. Healthy Lives. which seeks to have a conversation with the public about mental health treatment and resources.

We would like to share the attached information about Medicare’s elimination of the consult codes. The document will also be available on the Medicare/Medicaid section of the APA website. We’d very much like to hear back from you with any information you have about whether private insurers are following Medicare’s example and eliminating payment for these codes as well. You can contact Becky Yowell at byowell@psych.org / 703-907-8593 or Ellen Jaffe at ejaffe@psych.org /703-907-8591.

Download Consult Codes Elimination Information

Beginning January 1, 2010, Medicare will begin reimbursing providers for outpatient psychiatric services at 55 percent, while the patient copay will drop to 45 percent from the current 50 percent copay. The new rates are mandated by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 and the first step in the gradual elimination of the discriminatory copayment rate for outpatient mental health treatment. The reimbursement rate to providers will increase to 60 percent in 2012, 65 percent in 2013 and 80 percent in 2014, the same as for all other medical services.