I first reported about mental health fees in 2013, and then again last year. The following update is based on all charges submitted to Medicare for these services in 2021 by psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. In theory, charges to patients who have Medicare are likely to be the same as or very similar to …
Continue reading ‘How Much Do Therapists Charge? – 2023 Update’ »
It’s been a while since I reported about this. Given that hospitals and now insurance companies are required to publicly report their charges including cash prices for uninsured consumers and negotiated reimbursement, and especially in the context of current needs for access and care, maybe it’s time for mental health clinicians to increase transparency. What …
Diagnostic neuropsychological and psychological testing are predominantly psychologist-performed services in Medicare. The following provides an initial look at these services by psychologists and other health professionals in 2020 – the first year of the pandemic – based on data that have recently become available through CMS*. Seventeen diagnostic testing/evaluation services were available to psychologists in …
Public use data have recently become available through CMS, allowing initial looks at practice patterns during the first year of the pandemic. 2020 may have been a banner year for a shift to telehealth, but the increased flexibilities do not seem to have yielded increased provision of psychotherapy overall to the Medicare population. Indeed, an …
Continue reading ‘Psychotherapy In Medicare Update – Initial Look At The First Pandemic Year’ »
3 August 2022 UPDATE: PsiAN (Psychotherapy Action Network) has written a letter to the Federal Trade Commission protesting “the misleading business practices of CareDash and BetterHelp,” together with the American Psychoanalytic Association and the American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work. They are gathering signatures on a related petition, here: PsiAN Petition: Protecting Consumers and …
The following are prices listed for the six behavioral health services required to be provided by hospitals in a consumer-friendly “shoppable services” search. Prices were retrieved 15 January 2022 on review of these three hospitals and related locations. Location Service SSMHealth St. Mary’s UnityPoint Health Meriter UW 30 Minute Therapy NF PC $154 45 Minute …
In August 2021 I reviewed Madison hospitals’ compliance with the Federal “Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule,” which requires hospitals to make their standard charges readily available to the public, in both “consumer-friendly” and “machine-readable” formats. Hospitals have now had an additional five months to come into compliance, and it’s time for an update to see …
NOTICE “No Surprises Act” Dear Current And Potential Future Clients, Congress enacted a “No Surprises Act” that went into effect 1/1/2022. The act is described as “new federal protections against surprise medical bills that take effect in 2022. Surprise medical bills arise when insured consumers inadvertently receive care from out-of-network hospitals, doctors, or other providers …
UPDATE 1/1/2022: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AAPM) is reporting the same $34.6062 CF I previously reported 12/27/2021. This is now confirmed via the complete PFS (Physician Fee Schedule) at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/PhysicianFeeSched/PFS-Carrier-Specific-Files. So, the National Payment Amount (NPA) for the top ten services most frequently provided by psychologists in Medicare will be as follows this …
Continue reading ‘2022 Medicare Conversion Factor “Final” – Quick Update’ »
