Reimbursement Rates for Mental Health Treatment

Reimbursement Rates for Mental Health Treatment
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Reimbursement Rates for Mental Health Treatment
Health care reimbursements ensure that medical professionals are appreciated for the quality services and treatment they provided their patients. However, while some medical practitioners such as ER Physicians and surgeons are supported not only by fully equipped health care facilities and offices but also reasonable payments, mental health professionals are largely underpaid and often work under deplorable conditions. As such, they are mostly overburdened and unable to carry out their mandates and obligations satisfactorily. Based on the above facts, the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) has since it was established in 1978 been ensuring reliable reimbursement of Medicare and Medicaid coverage programs (Ibhpartners.org, 2021). These efforts have been cemented further by the Center for Health Care Solutions through the Current Procedure Terminology (CPT) codes and Billing and Financial Worksheets. The reimbursement rates for mental health professionals are found on the psychiatry section of the CPT manual from codes 90785 to 90899 (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2021). It is essential to note that states and the federal government have established stringent policies and rules in relation to medical coding. The objective is to ensure that patients are treated accordingly. The regulations also see to it that insurance companies are billed for services provided (Psychiatry.org, 2021). Similarly, these rules ensure doctors are subjected to competitive and timely reimbursements.
Additionally, it is worth noting that states in the US have different rates they negotiated with suppliers of medical equipment and services. As such, to legitimately bill and code for services provided by NP’s, successful medical practices often contrast NP rates with those offered by other pro...