Impact of medical referral on outpatient psychological services.

Demonstrates a positive relation between the formal recognition of psychologists for outpatient mental health services under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Service (CHAMPUS), Hawaii Medical Service Association, and Medicaid programs and the extent of services that they provide. Utilization data for 1983 outpatient mental health services by Hawaii residents show that the imposition of a medical referral condition under the Hawaii Medicaid program curtailed the use of psychological services relative to psychiatric services and restrained patients' freedom of choice. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)