- Title
- Women’s uptake of Medicare Benefits Schedule mental health items for general practitioners, psychologists and other allied mental health professionals
- Creator
- Byles, Julie E.; Dolja-Gore, Xenia; Loxton, Deborah J.; Parkinson, Lynne; Stewart Williams, Jennifer A.
- Relation
- Medical Journal of Australia Vol. 194, Issue 4, p. 175-179
- Relation
- http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/194_04_210211/byl10438_fm.html
- Publisher
- Australasian Medical Publishing Company
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2011
- Description
- Objective: To quantify women’s uptake of Medicare Benefits Schedule mental health items, compare characteristics of women by mental health service use, and investigate the impact on Medicare costs. Design, setting and participants: Analysis of linked survey data and Medicare records (November 2006 – December 2007) of 14 911 consenting participants of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) across three birth cohorts (1921–1926 [“older cohort”], 1946–1951 [“mid-age cohort”], and 1973–1978 [“younger cohort”]). Main outcome measures: Uptake of mental health items; 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) Mental Health Index scores from ALSWH surveys; and patient (out-of-pocket) and benefit (government) costs from Medicare data. Results: A large proportion of women who reported mental health problems made no mental health claims (on the most recent survey, 88%, 90% and 99% of the younger, mid-age and older cohorts, respectively). Socioeconomically disadvantaged women were less likely to use the services. SF-36 Mental Health Index scores among women in the younger and mid-age cohorts were lowest for women who had accessed mental health items or self-reported a recent mental health condition. Mental health items are associated with higher costs to women and government. Conclusion: Although there has been rapid uptake of mental health items, uptake by women with mental health needs is low and there is potential socioeconomic inequity.
- Subject
- Medicare Benefits Schedule; mental health; socioeconomic inequity; Mental Health Index
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/920636
- Identifier
- uon:9187
- Identifier
- ISSN:0025-729X
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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