title: [Cost effectiveness of a health insurance based case management programme for patients with affective disorders].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Health economic evaluation of a health insurance based case management intervention for persons with mood to severe depressive disorders from payers' perspective. Intervention intended to raise utilization rates of outpatient health services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of patients of one German health insurance company in two different regions/states. Cohort study consists of a control region offering treatment as usual. Patients in the experimental region were exposed to a case management programme guided by health insurance account manager who received trainings, quality circles and supervisions prior to intervention. Utilization rates of ambulatory psychiatrist and/or psychotherapist should be increased. Estimation of incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) was intended.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intervention yielded benefits for patients at comparable costs. A conservative estimation of the ICER was 44,16 euro. Maximum willingness to pay was 378,82 euro per year. Sensitivity analyses showed that this amount of maximum willingness to pay can be reduced to 34,34 euro per year or 2,86 euro per month due to cost degression effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intervention gains increasing cost effectiveness by the number of included patients and case managers. Cooperation between health insurances is suggested in order to minimize intervention cost and to maximize patient benefits. Results should be confirmed by individual longitudinal data (bottom-up approach) first.
authors.affiliation: Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, J 5, 68159, Mannheim, Deutschland, christian.jacke@zi-mannheim.de.
authors.forename: Christian Olaf
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Jacke
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Salize
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D019090:Case Management / Q000191:economics*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007358:Insurance, Psychiatric / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000193:education