The Self-Pay Behavioral Health Workforce in the United States: Motivations, Tradeoffs, and Decisions About Insurance Participation

Project Description

This study will use qualitative interviews with self-pay behavioral health clinicians in ten states to understand who comprises the workforce operating outside insurance systems, why they opt out, and under what conditions they might reengage with public or private insurance. Findings will inform policies on Medicaid participation incentives, loan repayment design, and workforce distribution strategies that depend on accurate assumptions about clinician decision-making.