Mental health under national health care reform: the empirical foundations.
This article reviews research pertinent to mental health services under several U.S. health care reform proposals. Issues examined include the redistributional impact of the inclusion of outpatient mental health benefits, optimal benefit packages, and findings that mental health services lower medical utilization costs. It is argued that extending a minimalist model of time-limited benefits, similar to that implemented in most managed care programs, to a national health care insurance plan would perpetuate the current two-class mental health care system.
Hudson
C G
CG
School of Social Work, Salem State College, MA 01970.
DeVito
J A
JA
D017281:Cost of Illness; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D017048:Health Care Costs; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009310:National Health Insurance, United States / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States