Nearly Half Of Behavioral Health Professionals Declining New Appointments For Medicare &Medicaid Beneficiaries 

About 45% of behavioral health professionals with credentials to serve Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries;declined;new appointments in 2023, according to a federal survey report by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the federal Department of Health and Human Services The survey found similar rates of declined appointments for new consumers enrolled in traditional Medicare, a Medicare Advantage plan, or in a Medicaid managed care organization (MCO). The OIG concluded that addressing the workforce shortage of behavioral health professionals in Medicare and Medicaid could improve beneficiary access to behavioral health care and reduce wait times for . . .