Hospitalization for Psychiatric Illness Under Medicare, 1985

National and state-level data on Medicare-covered hospital discharges after treatment for psychiatric illness in 1985 were analyzed to determine the distribution of cases among various types of psychiatric and general hospitals. In most states, 80 to 90 percent of Medicare patients with psychiatric conditions received care in a setting that provided specialized treatment for psychiatric illness. However, the distribution of discharges among public and private psychiatric hospitals and general hospitals with psychiatric units varied substantially among states. Between 1984, the first year of Medicare's prospective payment system, and 1985, the number of discharges decreased overall, and a shift toward treatment in specialized psychiatric facilities and toward settings exempt from the prospective payment system was apparent.