Managed Care

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the pros and cons of managed care, with special emphasis in the addictions field. The paper examines how managed care providers are now responsible for managing and providing health care coverage for much of addiction treatment. The paper further examines how many health care providers have expressed their concerns that managed care's stronghold in this area may reduce the quality of care afforded patients affected by addiction. The paper provides a synopsis of the pros and cons, with an analysis of the ethical considerations related to health care in general, as well as ethical considerations specific to the field of addictions treatment.

Outline:
Introduction
Benefits of Managed Care
Conflicts or Cons of Managed Care
Ethical Conflicts
How Does Managed Care Impact Ethical Codes
Recommendations and Conclusions
References

From the Paper:

"Most of the goals associated with managed care are benevolent in nature. These include focusing on cost containment and quality improvement among health care organizations (Gervais et al. 1999). To this extend managed care agencies are interested in providing comprehensive mental health benefits, they simply aspire to do so in a cost effective manner. Initially managed care organization's primary focus included expanding access to quality health care services for those that were often uninsured or those that lacked adequate health care insurance because of their financial status (Gervais et al. 1999)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Corey, G., Corey, M.S. & Callahan, P. (1993). Issues and ethics in the helping professions (4th ed). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
• Gervais, K.G., Otte, K.K, Priester, R., Solberg, M.M. & Vawter, D.E. (1999). Ethical challenges in managed care: A casebook. Washington, Georgetown University Press.
• Herlihy, B. & Corey, G. (1996). ACA Ethical standards casebook. Alexandria: American Counseling Association.
• Houston-Vega, M.K., Neuhring, E.M. & Daguio, E. (1996). Prudent Practice: A guide for managing malpractice risk." Available: http://www.naswpress.org/publications/books/clinical/prudent_practice/2677chapter.html
• Parker, S.G. (2003, April). Addiction treatment suffers under managed care. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 14, March 2006. http://www.rwjf.org/portfolios/resources/grantsreport.jsp?filename=035394.htm&iaid=131

More papers on Managed Care:

• Essay # 36990 : "Managed Care"
• Research Paper # 92286 : "Managed Care and the Patient-Physician Relationship"
• Term Paper # 139722 : "Counseling in the Managed Care Environment"
• Essay # 89147 : "Managed Care in the United States"

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