Psychiatry is no different from other specialties in the US, in that a person's care can be affected by their insurance status.
With psychiatry, seeing a provider through insurance usually introduces the concept of "medication management appointments".
Medication management appointments are a model of care where appointments with a psychiatrist are reserved for prescription services only. All other services are usually provided through other types of psychotherapy providers associated with the clinic. Therefore, a person's mental health care then usually becomes a combination of medication management and psychotherapy appointments, with each arm of mental health care led by a different provider.
Due to their more limited scope, medication management appointments may be shorter than other types of psychiatric appointments. Common models today typically allow 45-60 minutes to meet with a new patient, complete an intake assessment, and any associated documentation. Follow-up appointments are between 15-30 minutes for adjusting your treatment plan and any required documentation.
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