The cost of access to mental health services in managed care

Managed care has controlled the cost of specialty mental health services, but its impact on access to care is not well described. In a retrospective design, the study used empirical data to demonstrate a direct relationship between managed care plans' claims costs per member per month and the proportion of plan members who use specialty mental health services annually. Each increment of $1 per member per month in spending on claims was associated with a .9 percent increase in the proportion of enrollees receiving specialty mental health treatment. These data raise concerns that plans with low per-member per-month costs may unduly restrict access to specialty treatment.