Abstract
Two current congressional bills mandate parity for benefits for mental disorders with benefits for medical/surgical conditions in private insurance when mental health benefits are provided; the bills differ in regard to benefit levels and access to out-of-network coverage. This study assessed clinicians' and beneficiaries' participation in managed care networks in the national capital area under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) parity program. Approximately one-third of the clinicians studied participated in FEHB networks, and only 44 percent of FEHB patients received care from network clinicians. Out-of network mental health benefits are an important policy consideration to ensure access to mental health treatment under parity proposals.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | w70-w83 |
Journal | Health Affairs |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Policy