Productivity Billing in Mental Health Agencies: Ethical Considerations

An unavoidable piece of the American healthcare system that is often overlooked concerns billing and payment in community mental health agencies. Practitioners are faced with ethical dilemmas surrounding productivity billing that require their ability to strike a delicate balance between efficiency and providing quality care. In line with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principals of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2017), this paper examines ethical issues for mental health agencies and managers employing productivity-driven billing practices and reviews the impact these models have on practitioners and their clients. More specifically, it will speak to ethical concerns that impact not only the practitioners who are working at these agencies, but also the clients who are directly affected by the implementation and structure of this model. We conclude with a discussion regarding how agencies can play a more significant role in reducing unethical practices by improving operational standards to maximize quality care.