title: What drove private health insurance spending on mental health and substance abuse care, 1992-1999?
abstract: Trends in MH/SA treatment spending from 1992 to 1999 were examined using employer claims data from approximately 1.7 million covered lives in each year. The analysis finds that employer-based private insurance spending on MH/SA treatment did not keep pace with total employer-based private insurance spending or general price inflation. MH/SA spending dropped from 7.2 percent of total private insurance spending in 1992 to 5.1 percent in 1999. The decline was attributable to a dramatic decrease in inpatient MH/SA treatment--specifically, the probability of admissions and average length-of-stay.
authors.affiliation: Research and Pharmaceutical Division, Medstat, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Tami L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: Rosanna M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Coffey
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007358:Insurance, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014482:United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration