The effect of parity on expenditures for individuals with severe mental illness.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether comprehensive behavioral health parity leads to changes in expenditures for individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), who are likely to be in greatest need for services that could be outside of health plans' traditional limitations on behavioral health care.

Data sources/study setting

We studied the effects of a comprehensive parity law enacted by Oregon in 2007. Using claims data, we compared expenditures for individuals in four Oregon commercial plans from 2005 through 2008 to a group of commercially insured individuals in Oregon who were exempt from parity.

Study design

We used difference-in-differences and difference-in-difference-in-differences analyses to estimate changes in spending, and quantile regression methods to assess c

SUBMITTER: McConnell KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3720714 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature