Troops struggle with finding therapists - military insurance is cutting payments to therapists

[Kadie]

Troops struggle with finding therapists
By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer
29 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - Soldiers returning from war are finding it more difficult to get mental health treatment because military insurance is cutting payments to therapists, on top of already low reimbursement rates and a tangle of red tape.

Wait lists now extend for months to see a military doctor and it can takes weeks to find a private therapist willing to take on members of the military. The challenge appears great in rural areas, where many National Guard and Reserve troops and their families live.

To avoid the hassles of Tricare, the military health insurance program, one frustrated therapist opted to provide an hour of therapy time a week to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for free. Barbara Romberg, a clinical psychologist in the Washington, D.C., area, has started a group that encourages other therapists to do the same.

"They're not going to pay me much in terms of my regular rate anyway," Romberg said. "So I'm actually feeling positive that I've given, rather than feeling frustrated for what I'm going through to get payment."

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Roughly one-third of returning soldiers seek out mental health counseling in their first year home. They are among the 9.1 million people covered by Tricare, a number that grew by more than 1 million since 2001.

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Tricare's reimbursement rate is tied to Medicare's, which pays less than civilian employer insurance. The rate for mental health care services fell by 6.4 percent this year as part of an adjustment in reimbursements to certain specialties.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070611/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/soldiers_finding_a_therapist_4

[MichiganVote]

1. Tricare sucks anyway. As far as cutting amounts to therapists? What's new.

Anyone who has worked as a therapist knows that Tricare does everything it can to dodge payment. Even Medicare pays more and on time.

[NMMNG]

2. Of course

Once the soldiers are done being killing machines they're of no use to the government. Therefore the government tosses them aside like used tissues. Support the troops is truly a meaningless piece of jingoistic tripe to the government.