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Appendix AReport to the Washington Health Services Commission: Benefit Recommendations for Chemical Dependency Treatment
from the Chemical Dependency Issues Investigation Group
Linda Grant, M.S., Executive Director, Washington Association of Alcoholism and Addictions Programs - Chair
INTRODUCTION
Over 80 individuals were involved either as advisors or participants in the
meetings. They represented health insurance plans, managed care companies,
chemical dependency providers, advocacy groups, physicians, and county and state
government. This report reflects the conclusions of the group, in which there
was a high level of consensus throughout A list of participants and description
of process is outlined in Appendix A.
The Issues Investigation Group, in developing its recommendations, followed
the seven criteria developed by the Health Services Effectiveness Committee: (1)
equity, (2) access, (3) personal choice, (4) medical necessity, (5) preventive,
(6) cost benefit, and (7) based on services not providers. Encompassing these
considerations as well as keeping in mind the language of the Health Services
Act and current mandates, the Group set forth the following objectives:
- Define "case-managed
chemical dependency services" and any other critical terms.
- Identify which services are currently available through most
comprehensive, reasonable, cost-effective benefit plans.
- Examine which benefit limits and cost control mechanisms are most
efficient and applicable to case managed chemical dependency treatment services.
- Identify the elements and clinical criteria are necessary to provide
clinically appropriate, effective chemical dependency treatment based on the
patient's needs, access, choice and services.
- Present a summary of the costs associated with chemical dependency and
its treatment as well as the cost-offsets, particularly reducing "inappropriate
utilization of more intensive or less efficacious medical services."
- Prepare a benefit recommendation and rationale.
1. DEFINITION OF CASE-MANAGED CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY SERVICES AND OTHER TERMS
To meet the challenges of providing universal access to health care at an
affordable price, health plans will need flexibility and benefits that can be
efficiently administered. Case management should be a tool to assist health
plans to accomplish these goals, not add new layers of administration. Because
treatment episodes for chemical dependency tend to be relatively short in
duration, case management with chemical dependency services is primarily
concerned with determining appropriate level of care and ongoing clinical review
and does not imply added casework activity:
- Case-managed chemical dependency services involves the provision of
quality, clinically appropriate and cost-effective chemical dependency treatment
for a given patient and/or their family applying professional chemical
dependency placement, continuing care, and discharge standards administered by
state-approved chemical dependency treatment programs.
It is expected that case-management will take place at the last level of
contracted risk. Staff model HMOs and capitated providers will perform
case-management at the service level. Preferred provider plans will either
employ internal utilization review, contract with third-parties to conduct case
management independent of ongoing case management at the service level, or
contract with providers on a capitated basis. Regardless of administrative
structure, the role of case-management is to apply uniform clinical criteria in
making decisions around access and coverage.
A small minority of individuals with severe and persistent alcohol and drug
addiction may require more intensive casework in relation to long-term care
services. This is different from managed care and case-management and would be
an additional service, apart from case management, and most likely performed in
conjunction with long-term care benefits.
Chemical dependency, alcoholism, other drug addiction: Research
often refers to these diseases as "substance abuse." However,
"substance abuse," "alcohol abuse" or "drug abuse,"
as clinically defined in the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual (DSMIIIR or DSMV), are not intended to be covered under the
chemical dependency treatment benefit.
"Nicotine dependence" is a substance use disorder under
the DSM but the benefit developed herein has not been designed with specific
nicotine services in mind. For purposes of pricing this benefit, nicotine
dependence will be excluded. However, it would seem appropriate to include
smoking cessation services somewhere in the UBP, and it might best fit under the
chemical dependency benefit.
2. CURRENT BENEFIT PLANS AND PUBLIC SERVICES
Mandates and Laws Governing Chemical Dependency Coverage
It was agreed that the Uniform Benefit Package (UBP) should not offer less
than the coverage for chemical dependency that has been mandated in Washington
law for 20 years. RCW 48.21, originally enacted in 1974, mandates treating
chemical dependency with parity:
- The legislature recognizes that chemical dependency is a disease and,
as such, warrants the same attention from the health care industry as other
similarly serious diseases warrant...."
In 1986 the Insurance Commissioner adopted WAC 284-53-010 to clarify
that intent by defining the comprehensive continuum of services which health
plans in Washington State must cover, within medical necessity. These
regulations also established a minimum coverage per person of $5,000 every
two years; $10,000 lifetime (1986 dollars that have not been adjusted for
inflation).
Among the chemical dependency treatment services WAC 284-53-010 requires be
covered are medically necessary treatment and supporting services, including
medical evaluations, psychiatric evaluations, room and board (inpatient
only), psychotherapy (individual and group), counseling (individual and group),
behavior therapy, recreation therapy, family therapy (individual and group), and
prescription drugs and supplies prescribed by a treatment facility.
HMOs must additionally comply with the federal HMO Act of 1973. Under this
law (P.L. 93-222 and its subsequent amendments) HMOs are required to provide
medical treatment and referral services for abuse and/or addiction to alcohol
and drugs. HMOs typically cover inpatient and outpatient treatment, but
virtually all exclude methadone and long-term inpatient chemical dependency
treatment.1
Typical Benefits for Chemical Dependency
A survey of case-managed chemical dependency and mental health benefits
conducted by William M. Mercer2 revealed plans now typically provide
comprehensive coverage for chemical dependency treatment. Table 1 outlines their
findings:
Table 1
Chemical Dependency Benefit Residential
treatment (CD) Structured outpatient Individual/group outpatient Lifetime
maximum (combined CD/MH) | Plan Coverage $15,000-$20,000/35-40
days $ 4,000 to $9,000* $ 1,300 to $1,500 $45,000-$50,000**/2
episodes | *
recommended raising to $6,000 to $12,000 ** recommended raising to at least
$125,000. |
Chemical dependency treatment makes up a very small portion of the overall
health care premium. Prior to case management, 80% of employees were able to
access their inpatient chemical dependency treatment benefit with no
limitations.34 In a study of over 3,000,000 lives, MEDSTAT found that
chemical dependency payments were under 3.8% of inpatient medical payments, even
at its peak of utilization:5
In a 1990 study, MEDSTAT6 found over a single year a 22.59%
reduction in admissions to inpatient chemical dependency treatment and a 20.34%
decrease in payments per capita on those treatments. Table 3 shows these
changes in relation to other medical benefits.
Public Services
Within the publicly funded sector, services are broader in range of
intensity and duration than those common to private treatment. In addition to
intensive outpatient and short-term intensive inpatient, public treatment
includes transitional care (recovery houses) of 3060 days, and long-term
treatment of 90 days or longer. In addition, hospital stabilization programs for
pregnant addicted women provide hospital inpatient care for several weeks, and
some residential programs designed to take women with their infant or young
children are also available. DSHS also funds a residential facility to provide
treatment for persons involuntarily committed. Finally, "ADATSA," a
public program utilized by all persons initially needing residential treatment,
provides up to three months residential treatment and three months outpatient.
3. BENEFIT LIMITS AND OTHER COST CONTROL MECHANISMS
The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine has
recommended alcoholism and drug addiction be treated as other chronic, relapsing
problems such as diabetes and hypertension, with no prespecified day or visit
limits. 7 8, 9 Members of the Institute of Medicine, in a subsequent meeting to
address health reform, took the position:
- A benefit package that prescribes an arbitrary number of inpatient
days and/or outpatient visits in order to control costs is most likely to lead
to inappropriate utilization in settings and intensity of care, and hinder the
flexibility needed to achieve cost effective outcomes10
Case Management as a Cost Control Mechanism
Case-management has become the preferred method for controlling behavioral
health care costs.11 Managed behavioral healthcare companies,
generally operating under capitated carve-out contracts, have reported savings
to health plans from 23-50% in the first year.12 One large employer
reduced costs for chemical dependency coverage from $85 to $19 per capita per
year.13 Once established, claims increases have been held to 1% for
HMO/PPO coverages and 9.5% for indemnity plans.14 15,16
State health reform is moving to case-management and uniform clinical
criteria in place of restrictive limits. Table 4 outlines the chemical
dependency benefit structures in five states undergoing reform:
The Washington State Board of Health is among those locally that have
recommended against placing limits on chemical dependency treatment under health
reform.17
Minnesota's Experience with Using Case Management for Cost Control
Minnesota's basic health plan for low income, Medicaid and uninsured,
Minnesota Care, has a $10,000 a year limit on combined mental health and
chemical dependency intensive inpatient treatment. and no limit on outpatient.
The actual cost per episode of treatment has been held to $3,000 through use of
uniform criteria to make individual case decisions about level of care and
duration of treatment. After five years of experience, Minnesota's data provide
strong support for using case management in lieu of traditional benefit limits:18
- Utilization initially increased only 9%, then tapered off.
- Over the five years, the cost of treatment rose less than 7%, compared to
28% for other medical services.
- Fewer than half of all patients repeated treatment within 4 years. - Only
3% received 6 or more placements in 5 year period.
- Treatment costs averaged $3,000 per client for a treatment episode.
Estimates of the Cost of Case-Managed Chemical Dependency Benefits
No studies or research were found that showed limits on benefits to be
superior to case management for cost control.
Local chemical dependency case management firms working with the Issues
Investigation Group indicated that utilization for inpatient and residential
treatment under case management can be kept to a small portion of the total
population served.
Lewin-VHI, Inc. recently completed a national actuarial study on four
different chemical dependency benefits.19 The estimate for a
plan similar to the one conceived by the Issues Investigation Group of limited
residential and short-term, was around $2 per person per month, which would be
less than 2% of the premium of the Uniform Benefit Package. The highest
estimated cost in this study was $3.75 per person per month for a benefit that
included long-term residential, unlimited outpatient, higher utilization and
longer duration residential/inpatient, and full drug prevention and education
activities.
Based on current market contracts in the Puget Sound area, and on
existing data, it would appear that the proposed benefit will capitate under $2
per person per month. The Department of Social and Health Services is working
with the Health Services Commission to obtain an actuarial analysis of this
proposal, and this data will be available after June 10, 1994.
Appendix B provides more information on Minnesota and the executive summary
of the Lewin-VHI analysis.
4. ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY BENEFIT
Such diverse groups as the American Society of Addiction Medicine, President
Clinton's Commission on Model State Drug Laws, the Legal Action Center, the
American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association, and the Washington Business
Group (190 of the nation's largest employers) have all called for comprehensive
coverage for chemical dependency in health reform, managed like any other
medical condition.20 The elements common to all proposals for
chemical dependency coverage are:
- Providing a full continuum of care, ranging from low to high
intensity, so that patients can be matched through the initial diagnostic
evaluation to the lowest cost level of care appropriate to the severity of the
condition, and taking into consideration social and clinical factors impacting
clinical outcomes.
- Utilizing well established, uniform criteria to standardize placement and
length of stay decisions while also providing baseline data for ongoing case
management, quality assurance and outcomes monitoring.
- Habilitative, social and support services are funded outside the health
plan but patients are linked to these through case management.
Comprehensive Coverage
A cornerstone of this benefit recommendation is to use less restrictive
alternatives as the mainstay of delivery. However, it is essential that those
few who need more intense forms of treatment also are able to receive
appropriate, effective care.
Chemical dependency benefits must address the needs of a wide range of
individuals of all ages, receiving treatment at different points in the
progression, and experiencing different levels of physical, mental, or social
impairment as a result of the disease.
Severity of addiction plays a great role in placement determinations: 60% of
inpatients are at the high end of severity of addiction, and 60% of outpatients
are at the low end of severity21 (see Appendix C for full research
summary from CATOR). A 21-day residential intensive inpatient treatment in
Washington State can be obtained for as little as $2520 for adults, and a 28-day
residential adolescent program can cost as little as $3920. If unable to receive
effective levels of treatment, individuals only end up revolving in an out of
detox, emergency rooms, mental health facilities, and physicians' offices at far
greater expense than the cost of appropriate chemical dependency treatment.
Some individuals cannot be treated in outpatient settings. For example, a
pregnant addicted woman may require medically managed chemical dependency
treatment to complete safe withdrawal from drugs for herself and the unborn
baby.
Making the coverage available does not imply that patients will utilize
each coverage, or have unlimited access to that modality of care. Intensity
of care and duration will be determined on a case by case basis, based on
clinical indicators and examination of "appropriate" and "effective"
in the case management process. Increasingly services are "blending"
inpatient and outpatient programs for patients who live in areas where inpatient
facilities are available.
Since the Uniform Benefit Package is intended to provide a benefit floor,
basic and affordable while meeting the health needs of most
citizens of this state, the benefit herein is also a basic one that will
effectively treat the disease. The long-term services needed by the minority may
either be provided within the scope of long-term care benefits or funded through
another service system altogether.
Medical Necessity
For consistency, the Issues Investigation Group required that every
included service must be medically necessary and directly linked to treating the
disease of chemical dependency. It also treats chemical dependency as a
primary disease, consistent with research that has identified that chemically
dependent persons have no greater incidence of mental disorder than the
population in general.22, 23, 24
In the context of chemical dependency, medical necessity is used in a
broader sense, as defined by the Health Services Commission, to mean "clinical
necessity" as well. References to "medical necessity" herein
include "clinical necessity."
This UBP recommendation deliberately does not attempt to cover all the
psycho-socio-economic needs of individuals and their families presenting for
treatment. However, this exclusion should not be interpreted as a denial of
the value of support services or the role they may play in facilitating access,
outcome, or prevention. As is stated throughout this paper, it is possible that
some of these services will be covered under other benefits; if not, they will
need continuation under supplemental systems. The group simply determined early
that this must be a conservative package that does not create concerns for cost
that might lead to excluding chemical dependency treatment altogether.
Likewise, the Issues Investigation Group conceded that it was not realistic
to expect that health plans to cover the cost of a full two-year court-ordered
chemical dependency treatment program, regardless of the initial medical need of
the patient. Therefore, the Uniform Benefit Package would not cover monitoring
or treatment required after the person no longer meets clinical criteria for
medical necessity. The reverse of this is also important: Individuals should not
be denied access to treatment by virtue of court involvement. Medical
necessity determinations should be based on clinical criteria, regardless of
legal involvements, as regulations now require.
Uniform Placement, Continuing Stay and Discharge Criteria
As case management has become the preferred mode for administering chemical
dependency benefits, health policy experts are moving toward national adoption
of uniform criteria to guide the medical necessity decisions of case managers.25,
26, 27, 28, 29
President Clinton's Commission on Drug Laws has prepared the Model
Managed Care Consumer Protection Act, based on adoption of uniform clinical
criteria, to provide reasonable protections to policyholders that they can
access the benefits they have paid for. Oregon, Minnesota, Texas, Colorado,
New Mexico, Vermont, Iowa, and Massachusetts are among those that have adopted,
or are in the process of adopting, standard practice guidelines for chemical
dependency.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine, a national group of physicians
with specialized education and experience in chemical dependency, over the past
decade developed, tested and refined placement and discharge criteria for
chemical dependency treatment services, referred to as "ASAM Criteria."30
These criteria are employed across Washington State and the nation, and are a
component of the Model Managed Care Consumer Protection Act.
ASAM Criteria identify six primary problem areas for evaluation when making
placement decisions: acute intoxication and/or withdrawal potential; biomedical
conditions and complications (such as psychiatric conditions, psychological or
emotional/behavioral complications of known or unknown origin, transient
neuropsychiatric conditions); emotional/behavioral conditions or complications;
treatment acceptance or resistance; relapse potential; and recovery environment.
Assessment of the individual's medical status and functioning in each of
these areas will determine the appropriate level of care and length of time
needed in treatment. Appendix D contains an overview of the ASAM placement
criteria for adults and adolescents as well as their glossary of terms,
including "medical necessity."
5. RESEARCH ON COST BENEFITS OF TREATMENT
Alcohol and drug problems in 1990 cost Washington State $1.81
billion--$215.8 million in medical care and over $500 million from accidents and
deaths related to alcohol and drug abuse.31
Prevalence and Cost of Alcohol and Drug Dependence
At least 13.5% of all adults will experience alcohol abuse or dependence in
their lifetimes and 6.1% will experience a drug problem, exclusive of nicotine.32
Over 72 illnesses and health conditions have been directly linked to alcohol and
other drug abuse (see Appendix E).33
Between 20% and 40% of all hospital admissions are for conditions related to
alcoholism.34, 35, 36, 37 As many as 40% of all patients seen by
physicians have alcohol problems.38 Alcohol-related hospitalizations
among elderly are as common as myocardial infarction.39 Table 5
shows the use of hospitals for medical, psychiatric, and for detoxification
before and after treatment for chemical dependency:40
Twenty percent of Medicaid admissions in 1990 were for conditions caused by
substance abuse,41 and 38% of all Medicare admissions were
alcohol-related.42 Substance abusers required twice the length of
stay in hospitals when admitted for other conditions.43
Research Findings on Medical Costs for Alcohol/Drug-Related Conditions
- Alcoholics' medical costs were 300% higher than comparable
nonalcoholics before treatment for chemical dependency.44
- Children with prenatal drug exposure problems had twice the Medicaid
expenditures after birth as children not exposed to drugs.45
- Chemically dependent families used inpatient medical services at four times
the rate of families with no chemical dependency.46
- Children of alcoholics incurred medical costs 32% greater than other
children. Compared to other children, children of alcoholics:
- were admitted to hospitals at a rate 24% higher
- stayed in the hospital an average of 29% longer
- use nearly two-thirds more hospital days
- incurred 36% higher inpatient hospital costs.47
Cost Offsets of Chemical Dependency Treatment
Over two decades of data consistently show that the cost of chemical
dependency treatment is recouped within two to three years of treatment through
reductions in other health care services.48 49, 50
- Aetna Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan showed overall health care
costs of alcoholics rose from $130 per month to $1370 per month prior to
treatment. Three years after treatment they were only $190 a month.51
- A 14-year longitudinal study of 3,000 employed alcoholics found that after
treatment had a 24% lower health care utilization than non-alcoholics.52
- A follow-up of 3,572 successfully treated chemically dependents showed a
61% decrease in hospital utilization one year after treatment and a 57% decrease
the second year. Even treatment completers who did not remain abstinent
decreased hospital use by 35% the first year and 19% the second.53
- In Washington, ADATSA clients receiving public treatment had half the
hospital costs after treatment of non-treated clients.54 Infants of
pregnant women in public treatment had lower medical costs than babies of
untreated women.55
- A study from UCLA calculated for every $1 spent for drug treatment, $11 .54
is saved in medical and social costs.56
Families' use of health care has been found to drop by more than 50% after
treatment,57, 58 with one Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan
showing a reduction from S100 a month in the two years prior to treatment to
$13.34 in the fifth year post-treatment.59
Employer and Societal Cost Benefits of Treatment
When savings from reduction in workplace absenteeism and accidents and
increases in productivity are factored in, as well as reductions in crime and
violence, dollars spent on treatment are offset even more rapidly.60
Appendix F contains more information on cost offsets, including the
executive summary of the review of all the research on treatment effectiveness
and cost offsets conducted by Rutgers University for President Clinton's
Commission on Drugs.
Preventive Services with Chemically Dependent Persons
Courts are the primary intervention agent with chemically dependent persons,
and social service agencies the next. Although chemical dependency has been
recognized as a medical health problem since the 1 960's, the health care system
has not confronted chemical dependency as a primary problem. Washington
State health reform provides an opportunity to integrate preventive efforts with
health care to identify and treat persons with chemical dependency and "reduce
inappropriate utilization of more intensive or less efficacious medical services"
(HSA of 1993).
Primary Care Provider Screening and Assessment: Only 32% of
primary care physicians in a University of Washington study could effectively
diagnose patients with alcoholism; one-third erroneously made psychiatric
diagnoses, chiefly anxiety or depression61 (full article is in
Appendix G). In order to reduce the inappropriate use of medical services by
chemically dependent persons, it is essential that greater attention be given by
health plans to screening and referral to case management.
Screening can be as simple as the four-question CAGE questionnaire62,
which takes 30 seconds to administer. Group Health of Puget Sound has
implemented full protocols for primary care providers to screen and refer
patients with chemical dependency. The Chemical Dependency Issues
Investigation Group recommends the Health Services Commission, perhaps through
the Quality Improvement Committee, recommend systems to improve screening for
chemical dependency by primary care providers and other gatekeepers.
6. SUMMARY OF BENEFIT RECOMMENDATIONS
The examination of the previous areas, led to the following conclusions:
- Chemical dependency treatment,
by virtue of its cost-effectiveness, should be the preferred health intervention
for alcoholics and addicts.
- No single modality has been shown to be effective for all individuals, so a
mix of treatment modalities must be available, utilized on the basis of clinical
need.
- Case management allows cost control while not penalizing those with the
highest clinical severity, needing more intensive and longer treatment.
- Before case management, chemical dependency treatment costs were under 4%
of total inpatient claim.
- Based on national and local experience, the cost of providing a
comprehensive chemical dependency benefit in the Uniform Benefit Package, using
case management and uniform placement, continuing stay and discharge criteria,
can be expected to be under 2% of the total premium cost, extending current
utilization levels.
Benefit Recommendation:
Case-managed Chemical Dependency
Treatment Services:
Medically necessary hospital, residential,
outpatient primary chemical dependency treatment and collateral services
(includes triage, assessment, case management, concurrent family education and
counseling services) which are case-managed in accordance with
state-recognized uniform chemical dependency placement, continuing stay and
discharge criteria.
Deductibles and Copayments: Consistent with those applied to
medical inpatient and outpatient services.
Benefit Limit: No
specific limit, except mat all services must be deemed medically necessary and
approved by me Certified Health Plan through their chemical dependency case
management process. Proposal does not include long-term residential and
outpatient chemical dependency services except as covered under long-term care
benefits. |
In addition to the specific case-managed chemical dependency benefit, other
sections of the UBP appear to cover necessary services for persons with alcohol
and other drug problems, and the group makes the following recommendations in
this regard:
Chemical Dependency Services
Covered under Other Sections of the UBP:
- Emergency Services Section: Include emergency alcohol and drug
detoxification in acute inpatient, residential or outpatient settings.
Detoxification often is required in crisis situations, not as a result of
preliminary case-management. Access must be possible without case-management,
with referral to case-managed treatment occurring during detoxification.
Utilization of less intensive forms (residential and outpatient), as dictated by
the uniform clinical criteria, would be covered to encourage use of least
restrictive setting.
- Preventive Services SectionPreventive Screening, Assessment and
Interventions: Include "relapse prevention counseling" and "brief
chemical dependency intervention," both of which are critical
components of preventive services.
|
Detoxification Services
Both clinicians and health plans wish to see detox case-managed, but it must
also be immediately accessible, apart from case management, on an emergency
basis. The group has recommended that:
- The UBP should cover not only
hospital detoxification but also clinically appropriate alternatives, including
residential, medically-monitored detox and outpatient detox, with coverage at
the least restrictive level of care in accordance with the uniform placement
criteria.
- Detoxification facilities should commence case-management upon admission to
facilitate referral to treatment, but case-management should not be a
prerequisite to accessing detox.
- Detox be covered under medical/surgical coverage unless it is provided as
part of a full case-managed chemical dependency treatment plan.
Collateral Services
Collateral services under the case-managed chemical dependency benefit of
the UBP should be covered only when provided as part of an intensive treatment
program, and as medically necessary. Among services needed by some patients are
urinalysis and other laboratory tests, medical consultation, medications
prescribed by the physician of the chemical dependency treatment facility,
psychological evaluation/consultation, and acupuncture.
Preventive Services
Preventive Counseling and Intervention: It is far less costly to
provide limited counseling to chemically dependent persons feeling at risk of
using drugs or alcohol than to serve them after they have relapsed. To encourage
preventive intervention the Preventive Services section of the UBP should
specifically identify relapse prevention counseling.
Brief Intervention: One of major tools for families to deal with a
chemically dependent relative is "chemical dependency intervention."
This consists of a several structured sessions designed to assist families in
designing a strategy to confront the dependent person and break the cycle of
denial. It often results in treatment for the dependent person and usually
provides strong support for the family in crisis. The Issues Investigation Group
presumes this fits under "Preventive Services" and raises the issue
for clarification and perhaps specification.
Services Not Included in Chemical Dependency Treatment Benefit
Inclusion into the "Case-managed chemical dependency services"
benefit was based on direct relationship to treating the person with the
addictive disease, and direct relation to the addiction itself. It was also
narrowed to exclude some publicly funded social, rehabilitative, and support
services. This is not to say these services are not essential and do not need
continued funding. It is simply an attempt by the Issues Investigation Group to
provide the Health Services Commission with a clinically-based, consistent
approach to drawing the boundaries around a service that in the public sector
has become quite blurred.
Long Term Care: These recommendations have not attempted to
incorporate the full range of individual and community-wide services required by
a small group of chemically dependent persons who repeatedly access
detoxification centers as well as emergency rooms, hospitals, and primary care
physician's offices. It is important, however, to note that special long-term
services must continue to be funded, whether through long-term care benefits or
through supplemental delivery systems.
Support Services: Publicly funded services have encompassed an array
of supportive services, such as housing, living assistance, child care,
transportation, and vocational rehabilitation, which enhance the total
rehabilitation of individuals with needs beyond primary chemical dependency
treatment. These support and habilitative services would be funded independent
of the health care system. Therapeutic child care, provided in conjunction with
a parent in treatment, would also be a separately funded activity.
Chemical Dependency Family Counseling: When the chemically dependent
person enters treatment, family members and other significant persons (including
employers) are given ancillary education and counseling, and this is included in
the UBP recommendation. However, family members often seek out counseling prior
to the dependent person entering treatment. As pointed out earlier, family
members are as great a source of health care utilization as the
alcoholic/addict, but in order to keep a minimal service package, this was not
incorporated into the "Case-Managed Chemical Dependency Services"
benefit. It is possible that these services might be covered under mental health
benefits and, to a limited extent, under Preventive Services.
Child Care: Neither therapeutic child care nor day care are included
in this benefit recommendation. When therapy is provided to children of
chemically dependent persons as an adjunct to that treatment, it is assumed that
the child will have mental health benefits to cover their services. Other forms
of child care would be funded by the Department of Social and Health Services or
other supplemental systems.
REFERENCES
1Levin, B.L.. Utilization and costs of substance abuse services
within the HMO group. HMO Practice, 1993: 7(1), 28-34.
2Anderson D.F., and Berlant, J.L. Managed mental health and
substance abuse services. In Kongstvedt, P.R. (Ed), The Managed Health Care
Handbook, 2nd Edition. Aspen Publishers: Gaithersburg, MD, 1993, pp 130-141.
3Institute of Medicine, Treating Drug Problems, Vol. 1.
Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1990.
4Ford, M.Q. The incredible shrinking utilization. NAATP
Review, 1992:13(3): 2-5
5MEDSTAT Systems, Inc. Unpublished data prepared for the
National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, 1992.
6MEDSTAT Systems, Inc. Unpublished data prepared for the
National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, 1992.
7Institute of Medicine. Broadening the Base of Treatment for
Alcohol Problems. Washington, DC: National Academy Press 1990.
8Institute of Medicine. Treating Drug problems (Vol. I).
Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1990.
9Lewis, D.C. The rationale for including a substance abuse
benefit in health care reform: Medical, research, economic and community
perspectives. George Washington 10 University, Intergovernmental Health Policy
Project, 1994, pp. 3-5.
10Lewis, D.C. Ibid.
11McArdle, FB and Mahoney, JJ. Report prepared by Hewitt
Associates, employee benefits consulting firm, for the Subcommittee on Health
and the Environment, Committee on Energy and Commerce, United States House of
Representatives on Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Benefits, December 3,
1993.
12Geraty, R., Bartlett, J., Hill, E., Lee, F., Shusterman, A.,
and Waxman, A. The impact of managed behavioral healthcare on chemical
dependency treatment. Behavioral Healthcare Tomorrow, 1994: Mar/Apr,
18-30.
13Larson, M.J., and Horgan, C.M. Issues in calculating the
cost of a substance abuse benefit under health care reform.
Intergovernmental Health Policy Project, The George Washington University,
Washington, DC 1994.
14SAMHSA: Effectiveness of managed care delivery of mental
health/substance abuse services. Unpublished. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration, DHHS. 1993.
15Geraty, R., et al., op cit.
16SAMHSA, op cit.
17Testimony to the Washington Health Care Commission, September
29, 1992, by Beverly Lingle, Chair of the Washington State Board of Health.
18Research News:
Minnesota's chemical dependency efforts influence national health care
reform bill. Minnesota Department of Human Resources, 1994.
19Hawood, HJ, Thomsom M, Nesmith T. Healthcare Reform and
Substance Abuse Treatment: The cost of financing under alternative approaches.
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