A recent Kaiser Health News article examined the immediate impact the ACA is having on solo behavioral health practitioners. According to the article, the traditional cash for service business model is diminishing because of increased insurance coverage under ACA. Solo behavioral health practitioners are being asked to accept health insurance, which requires deciphering insurance plans and coding and negotiating fees.
The authors of the article suggest that more solo practitioners are consolidating with one another to share these burdens, gain bargaining power, and demand higher reimbursement rates from insurance companies. Others are using this era of integrated medicine to join forces with primary care providers.
These are just a few examples of the potential impact the ACA and mental parity act could have on individuals in private practice, though the evidence presented was anecdotal in nature. The ultimate impact is not yet clear.
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