Thursday, November 11, 2004
Public Perceptions Of Cost Containment Strategies: Mixed Signals For Managed Care Article in
Health Affairs (
Adobe Acrobat format) - "With health care costs, and insurance premiums in particular, escalating rapidly, we may see the reintroduction of utilization management strategies associated with managed care, which seemed destined for oblivion only a short time ago. Results from a survey to assess Americans views of managed care cost containment strategies indicate mixed support: Despite an overall lack of confidence in managed care, Americans appear to be receptive to specific managed care practices. Those designing cost containment strategies must find a balance between imposing restrictions that moderate use and hold down costs and allowing consumers to retain some control over their own health care."
Bipolar disorder not crippling, Statscan reports (Canada)Story in the
Globe and Mail - "The vast majority of Canadians living with bipolar disorder, a severe mental illness, are high-functioning individuals who hold down full-time jobs, according to new research from Statistics Canada. The data, which were collected as part of a landmark survey on mental health, shatters long-held perceptions about a condition that can lead to alternating bouts of mania and depression." See also the full article from Statistics Canada,
Bipolar I disorder, social support and work (
Adobe Acrobat format).
Jailing mentally ill called unconstitutional, illegal (Canada)Ottawa Citizen story - "An Ottawa judge has declared the widespread practice of jailing mentally ill people charged with crimes pending psychiatric assessments in hospitals unconstitutional and illegal. Furthermore, in a long awaited ruling released yesterday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Desmarais gave the Ontario government a deadline to get the situation fixed."
Judge extends AMHI official's tenure (Maine)Morning Sentinel story - "A judge has granted a short extension to the tenure of the court official she appointed to run first the Augusta Mental Health Institute and then its successor, Riverview Psychiatric Center. ... Mills also issued a ruling on a request by lawyers representing nearly 4,000 past and present AMHI and Riverview patients to impose the state's grievance process contained in the 'Rights of Recipients of Mental Health Services' wherever those patients are housed."
Mental Health Centers May Close (Texas)KTSM-TV story - "Budget problems in Austin mean two mental health centers in El Paso are in danger of closing. That would cause severe problems for those who struggle with mental health issues because there are very few options for treatment..."
Agencies urge county to delay closing mental health clinics (Missouri)St. Louis Post-Dispatch story - "Representatives of two private mental health care providers on Tuesday urged St. Louis County to delay closing its family mental health clinics, which is scheduled for next Wednesday. They told the County Council that private mental health agencies needed 60 days to organize to receive patients from county clinics. Collectively, private agencies offer all the services that the county clinics do, they said. But individual agencies only offer some of the services."
County Looking for Mental Health Solution (Nevada)KLAS-TV story - "Should the State of Nevada spend more of your money to prop up its mental health division? Right now, Governor Kenny Guinn is reviewing what state officials call a "historic request" for increased mental health funding. Getting any more money mental health is going to be tricky. Objectively, something needs to be done. The state mental health hospital only has 130 beds .at a time when the Valley's population sits at 1.6 million. But lawmakers may be edgy to approve any spending after last year's contentious $836 million state tax increase..."
Mental health care in schools gets checkup (California)Brief
San Francisco Examiner story - "In two hours of testimony from people who provide mental health services for children, a joint committee of city supervisors and school board commissioners heard that public-school children received inadequate help, and that some city schools were getting more services than others..."
Michigan Senate passes mental health reform legislationDetroit Free Press story - "A mentally ill person who's been hospitalized, jailed or has a violent history could be ordered to receive outpatient treatment if they refuse to comply with their prescribed treatment under legislation approved Wednesday by the state Senate. The measures also would let a person designate a patient advocate to make mental health treatment decisions for him or her in the future -- much like what is already done for physical health decisions."
