Roger Kathol, MD, Discusses the Evolving Role Of Psychiatry In The Era Of Healthcare Reform

Roger Kathol, MD, president of Cartesian Solutions, Inc, and professor of internal medicine and psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, says that health reform presents several opportunities for psychiatrists. Currently, most psychiatrists practice in stand-alone behavioral health settings. He says most will shift to providing services in medical settings such as accountable care organizations (ACOs).

“Because the Affordable Care Act set the stage for ACOs being able to contract for provider services in completely different ways than they have in the past, then the psychiatrist can be paid through medical benefits and then they can deliver services—and make a living wage in doing so—in the outpatient, inpatient, and post-acute settings,” says Dr Kathol.