Use of outpatient mental health services over time in a health maintenance organization and fee-for-service plans.
The authors compared the use of outpatient mental health services in a health maintenance organization (HMO) and fee-for-service plans over a 5-year period, using data from a randomized controlled trial. In any given year, enrollees in the HMO and a fee-for-service plan with identical benefits were equally likely to visit a mental health specialist. Over several years, the HMO enrollees were about 50% more likely ever to visit a mental health specialist; fee-for-service enrollees were more likely to receive mental health care in more than 1 study year.
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003669:Deductibles and Coinsurance; D004522:Educational Status; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005251:Fees, Medical; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000191:economics*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012107:Research Design; D014481:United States