@Christina - Yep more and more providers are opting out. Sad because what does that leave us with??? I mean why grant me a disability for mental health that has no coverage....

@gayleggg - Not looking for a free ride just equal access to services.

Read this from the Bezelon Law site that breaks differences between the two and its very sad for us on medicare to have no change at recovery.
Medicare
**Despite the rates of serious mental illness among Medicare beneficiaries, the program does not offer the full array of mental health benefits that are effective in helping people recover from mental illnesses. Therapy, medication management and partial hospitalization are covered, but other intensive services, such as psychiatric rehabilitation and case management, are not. A limited mental health benefit package deprives beneficiaries of the mental health services that are most needed to improve their functional health. Medicare coverage should be expanded so that it more appropriately meets the needs of beneficiaries with serious mental illnesses. ***

Medicaid
Federal Medicaid law allows states to cover a wide range of intensive community mental health services that are appropriate for adults with serious mental illnesses. It also mandates that states cover a similarly comprehensive array of community services for children. The program rules are complex, but the Bazelon Center has developed resources that provide information on the most relevant aspects of the program in terms of services to people with mental illnesses.

The Bazelon Center considers Medicaid the primary funding mechanism for public mental health systems (it is already the most significant payer). Unfortunately, many states have not taken full advantage of Medicaid options for adults and many have also restricted children’s access to the services to which they are entitled by failing to provide definitions that enable providers to readily bill for those services.