Women's uptake of Medicare Benefits Schedule mental health items for general practitioners, psychologists and other allied mental health professionals

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. MJA 2011; 194: 175-179