Benefit flexibility, cost shifting and mandated mental health coverage.
This paper presents a policy analysis of options for making a state's mandated mental health benefit more flexible while maintaining insurance premiums at a constant level. The analysis illustrates the difficult choices facing legislatures that attempt to balance improved coverage for mental health care with concerns about rising health care costs. A sophisticated simulation model is used to assess the costs of four alternative insurance benefit design options.
Frank
R G
RG
School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205.
McGuire
T G
TG
Salkever
D S
DS
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics; D003363:Cost Control / Q000379:methods; D017047:Cost Sharing; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D007358:Insurance, Psychiatric / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013219:State Government; D014768:Virginia