Effect of eliminating behavioral health benefits for selected medicaid enrollees.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine the extent to which the elimination of behavioral health benefits for selected beneficiaries of Oregon's Medicaid program affected general medical expenditures among enrollees using outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment services.

Data source/study setting

Twelve months of claims before and 12 months following a 2003 policy change, which included the elimination of the behavioral health benefit for selected Oregon Medicaid enrollees.

Study design

We use a difference-in-differences approach to estimate the change in general medical expenditures following the 2003 policy change. We compare two methodological approaches: regression with propensity score weighting; and one-to-one covariate matching.

Principal findings

Enrollee

SUBMITTER: McConnell KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2517280 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature