Shake-up under way in mental health

By Brittany Alana Davis
08/10/11 © Health News Florida

Some mental health providers say they will no longer treat Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida patients in light of a “surprising” letter they received from the company last week.

The letter announces that the insurer will terminate contracts with behavioral health providers by Nov. 30 and turn over  management to a Kansas-based managed care company, New Directions Behavioral Health.

Treatment providers who want to continue seeing BCBS-FL patients must apply to New Directions and sign a contract within 15 days.

Under the contract, caregivers would be paid 25 to 55 percent less than they were before and would not be able to refer patients to providers outside the network, said Dr. Stephen Ragusea, a Key West psychologist.

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