Shifting from external to internal provision of mental health services in a health maintenance organization.
A health maintenance organization whose mental health services had been supplied under contract by two successive external providers changed in 1978 to in-house provision of most services for both HMO and fee-for-service patients. The changeover necessitated a greatly enlarged staff, development of a treatment philosophy and utilization review procedures, and establishment of good cmmunications with external providers who supplied inpatient services. One objective of the change to in-house services was to further reduce hospital admissions and hospitalization costs; comparisons of admissions and costs over a five-year period before and after the change indicated substantial reductions in both areas.
D005249:Fees and Charges; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008910:Minnesota; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000639:trends