How Expensive Is Unlimited Mental Health Care Coverage Under Managed Care?

Assumptions used in last year's policy debate overstate actual managed care costs by a factor of 4 to 8, and the cost consequences of improved coverage under managed care, which by now accounts for most private insurance, are relatively minor.

Abstract

Concerns about costs have stifled many health system reform proposals. However, policy decisions were often based on incorrect assumptions and outdated data that led to dramatic overestimates. For mental health care, the cost consequences of improved coverage under managed care, which by now accounts for most private insurance, are relatively minor.