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The Role of Health Plans in Supporting Behavioral Health Integration

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Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Health plan policies can influence delivery of integrated behavioral health and general medical care. This study provides national estimates for the prevalence of practices used by health plans that may support behavioral health integration. Results indicate that health plans employ financing and other policies likely to support integration. They also directly provide services that facilitate integration. Behavioral health contracting arrangements are associated with use of these policies. Delivery of integrated care requires systemic changes by both providers and payers thus health plans are key players in achieving this goal.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by grant R01AA010869 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and grant R01DA029316 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Preliminary versions of these data were presented at the Addiction Health Services Research Conference in October, 2014, Boston, MA; the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in November, 2013, Boston, MA; the Academy Health Annual Research Meeting in June 2012, Orlando, FL and the Research Society on Alcoholism Scientific Meeting in June 2012, San Francisco, CA. The authors acknowledge the contributions of Pat Nemeth, Frank Potter, Ph.D., and staff at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., for survey design, statistical consultation, and data collection; Grant Ritter, Ph.D. for statistical consultation, and Galina Zolutusky, M.S., for statistical programming.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South St., Waltham, MA, USA

    Maureen T. Stewart, Constance M. Horgan, Deborah W. Garnick, Sharon Reif, Timothy B. Creedon & Elizabeth L. Merrick

  2. Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Amity E. Quinn

  3. The Health Equity Research Lab, Cambridge Health Alliance, 1035 Cambridge Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA, 02141, USA

    Timothy B. Creedon

Authors
  1. Maureen T. Stewart
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  2. Constance M. Horgan
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  3. Amity E. Quinn
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  4. Deborah W. Garnick
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  5. Sharon Reif
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  6. Timothy B. Creedon
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  7. Elizabeth L. Merrick
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Correspondence to Maureen T. Stewart.

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Stewart, M.T., Horgan, C.M., Quinn, A.E. et al. The Role of Health Plans in Supporting Behavioral Health Integration. Adm Policy Ment Health 44, 967–977 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-017-0812-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-017-0812-3

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