Friday, August 27, 2004

Managed Care Rebound? Recent Changes In Health Plan Cost Containment Strategies
Article in Health Affairs - "Large increases in health care costs combined with an economic slowdown have created pressures for health plans and employers to reconsider cost containment strategies that were scaled back after the managed care backlash. In this paper we examine how plans’ approaches to cost containment and care management have evolved since 2001. Plans reintroduced and refocused some utilization management techniques during 2002 and 2003 while continuing to invest in disease and case management. Some also began to experiment with new variants of managed care, including tiered provider networks and incentive-based provider payments. However, few respondents believed that these strategies alone would greatly reduce future costs. "  
  

Get it Together: How to Integrate Physical and Mental Health Care for People with Serious Mental Disorders
The executive summary (in both HTML and Adobe Acrobat versions) of a report from the Bazelon Center for Mental health Law which "examines model programs for improving integration and coordination of behavioral health and primary health services for adults and children with serious mental disorders who rely on the public mental health system for their care. It summarizes findings of a series of studies and offers recommendations for policymakers." The full report is available for a fee.  
  

Legal Issues May Block Digital Health Records - GAO
Reuters Health story at Medscape - "Uncertainty surrounding a host of legal issues may stall adoption of electronic medical records and U.S. officials have done little to address the problem, a congressional watchdog agency said Monday. The Bush administration has trumpeted its efforts to push hospitals into the computer age, thereby cutting paperwork costs and reducing medical errors. On the campaign trail, President George W. Bush has touted a goal of storing most Americans' medical records in electronic form within 10 years. Most of the $228 million spent by the Department of Health and Human Services in the current fiscal year in this area has gone to testing of electronic systems and coordinating information among federal agencies and private entities, according to the Government Accountability Office." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].