Survivor Link - New York Psychiatric Survivors Unite |
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Electroshock (ECT or "electrocounvulsive therapy")Information about Electroshock - comprehensive on-line information at ect.org Information about Committee for Truth in Psychiatry - CTIP is a national organization of former electric shock patients. CTIP's director is Linda Andre, of New York. CTIP does not have its own web site, but information about it is available on-line via the above link. Department of Health and Human Services, OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, JANET REHNQUIST, Inspector General, DECEMBER 2001 OEI-12-01-00450, Medicare Reimbursement for Electroconvulsive Therapy report (local text version) For a nicely formatted version which requires Adobe Acrobat (pdf format), use this link: http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-12-01-00450.pdf This DHHS report reveals that each year about 153,000 electroshock procedures are paid for by Medicare. At the rate of 6 to 12 per person, this indicates that probably somewhere between 13 and 26 thousand people covered by Medicare are affected per year. Since there are 39 million people covered by Medicare, that means that about 35 cents per covered person per year is spent on shock treatment, and that there is about one procedure performed per year for every 255 Medicare enrollees. In 2000, the average Medicare reimbursement rate for a single seizure procedure was $88. The reimbursement rate for a multi seizure treatment (MMECT) was $121. The report questions the widespread use of MMECT, noting that "recent objective reviews have concluded that MMECT should not be part of a routine clinical treatment." Medicare paid for 3,585 MMECT procedures in 2000, which means that more than one out of every 50 treatments reimbursed is a multi seizure treatment, according to the statistics furnished in this report. New York State Office of Mental Health statement on ECT Policies of New York State Psychiatric Centers |