C. Barrick et al., OLDER ADULTS, REIMBURSEMENT, AND REFERRALS - IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS AFTER MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT CHANGES AND BEFORE HEALTH-CARE REFORM, Professional psychology, research and practice, 26(6), 1995, pp. 598-601
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.