Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Insurance, Psychiatric”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources

Use of health care services by persons with panic symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with panic symptoms are heavy users of the health care system, although many do not seek care specifically for those symptoms. This study documents utilization of various sources of health care of subjects with panic symptoms, including those who met criteria for panic disorder and those with infrequent panic, distinguishing between use specifically for panic symptoms and use for reasons not related to panic. METHODS: This community-based sample, predominantly Mexican American and female, included 97 subjects with panic symptoms and 97 matched control subjects with no panic symptoms. Data were collected on two-month utilization of various sources of health care both within and outside the mainstream health care system, barriers to access to care, and levels of medical insurance coverage. RESULTS: Subjects with panic symptoms had higher utilization rates for the services of psychiatrists and psychologists and for ambulance services than control subjects. Subjects who met criteria for panic disorder and who sought care specifically for panic symptoms generally accounted for the differences between the group with panic symptoms and the control group. The two groups differed little in barriers to access, but the control group reported that their medical insurance covered more types of services. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with control subjects, subjects with panic symptoms reported higher rates of health care utilization despite having less insurance coverage and experiencing similar barriers to access. The higher rate was due to increased utilization of health care by subjects who met criteria for panic disorder and to help seeking specifically for symptoms of panic.

Adolescent↗

Costs and utilization of substance abuse care in a privately insured population under managed care.

OBJECTIVE: Cost and utilization patterns of substance abuse and mental health treatment under private, employer-sponsored, managed behavioral health care plans were examined. METHODS: Data were from claims made in 1995 in 93 behavioral health care plans covering 617,133 members. Rates of use of mental health and substance abuse care were determined, as were payments by insurers and patients for the two types of care. Means were calculated per plan member and per user of either of these service types. RESULTS: Approximately .3 percent of plan members used any substance abuse services; 5.2 percent used mental health services. However, among substance abuse patients, average costs were more than twice as high as average costs for mental health patients. For substance abuse treatment, the annual cost per user was $2,188, compared with $979 for users of mental health care. Annual per-member costs were $6.51 for substance abuse treatment and $50.08 for mental health care. Higher costs for substance abuse treatment reflected greater rates of use of both inpatient and intensive outpatient treatment. Overall, substance abuse costs represented 13 percent of insurance payments for behavioral health care and perhaps .4 percent of the cost of health insurance overall. CONCLUSIONS: Substance abuse coverage accounts for a small fraction of insurance payments for behavioral health coverage and a very small fraction of insurance payments for both physical and behavioral health care.

Behavior Therapy↗