Integrated Care: Potential Disaster or Golden Opportunity?

Abstract

This chapter explores the advantages and drawbacks of managed care and integrated primary and behavioral health care. It examines the implications of the trend toward increased integration of behavioral health care and primary care services. If integrated care can consistently generate sufficient medical cost offsets to fund the cost of providing the behavioral care, these programs can help managed care organizations solve the fundamental problem of delivering cost effective plans to employers without sacrificing health outcomes. In addition, behavioral health care providers may offer the expertise needed by managed care companies to understand consumer perceptions of health care and consumer values. The chapter highlights that some innovative providers have produced good patient outcomes by integrating behavioral health care into a primary care setting. To the extent that behavioral health care providers can successfully reduce patient medical expenditures via improved mental health, improved compliance with medical care instructions, and improved management of chronic diseases, behavioral health care providers may offer the solution to the fundamental dilemma posed by managed care.