Comparing the Health Workforce Provider Mix and the Distance Travelled for Mental Health Services by Rural and Urban Medicare Beneficiaries.

Purpose: To describe the mix of health professionals who care for rural and urban seniors suffering from mood and/or anxiety disorders, the quantity of services they receive, and to understand where beneficiaries receive care for mood and/or anxiety disorders and the distance and time they travel for care.

Methods: We used 2014 Medicare administrative claims data to examine access to health care for fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥ 65 years who received outpatient services for mood and anxiety disorders. We classified providers into 9 categories: (1) family physicians/general practice, (2) internists, (3) nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs), (4) psychiatrists, (5) psychologists, (6) clinical social workers, (7) emergency medicine physicians, (8) other physicians, and (9) other providers.