In continuing coverage, the Hartford (CT) Courant (3/14, Sturdevant) “Insurance Capital” blog reported, “Several doctor organizations are criticizing Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut for not covering psychotherapy in some cases after a Jan. 1 change in medical-billing codes.” Insurer “Anthem has responded to changes in medical-billing codes for psychiatry by covering only visits for an evaluation or management of medical issues, and not psychotherapy as a separate equal category when provided during the same visit, according to the Connecticut Psychiatric Society, the American Psychiatric Association and the Connecticut State Medical Society.” The blog quoted APA CEO James H. Scully, Jr., MD, who called Anthem’s practices “unethical and illegal,” and who said, “We worked very hard to enact mental health parity laws, and it is now clear that Anthem is seeking a way to avoid compliance.”
Related Links:
— “Doctors: Anthem Not Paying For Psychotherapy In Some Cases, “MSturdevant, Hartford Courant, March 14, 2013.