The history, economics, and financing of mental health care. Part 3: The present.
1. Health care system changes, particularly the managed care plans, are altering mental health practices in significant ways. The autonomy and independent judgment of clinicians are being limited. 2. Market expansion created child and adolescent hospitals in the private sector. This market was very favorable to growth because of the great ambiguity in diagnosis and treatment, and the nonexistence of commitment laws for this population. 3. While insurance coverage for psychiatric diagnoses has expanded, more affluent people, with good employment possibilities, still have better insurance than poor individuals.
Smoyak
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Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Institute of Health, Health Care Policy, & Aging Research, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick 08901, USA. smoyak@email.rci.rutgers.edu
D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007358:Insurance, Psychiatric / Q000191:economics; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States