OLDER ADULTS, REIMBURSEMENT, AND REFERRALS - IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS AFTER MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT CHANGES AND BEFORE HEALTH-CARE REFORM

Psychologists' current provision of mental health services to older ad ults was investigated by a mail survey. One half of licensed psycholog ists in a metropolitan region in the Northeast were randomly sampled, with a return rate of 61% (n = 37). Seventy-five percent saw older adu lt clients (age 65 and over), and 72% accepted Medicare payments. Olde r adults composed 8% of their practice. Solo-practicing physicians wer e the chief referral link to and from the medical community. Barriers to providing mental health services included client's lack of social s upport network and low levels of reimbursement. The challenges of cont inuing psychologists' recent advances in serving the mental health nee ds of older adults in an era of health care reform and managed care ar e discussed.